Worcester Art Museum

Reclining Cat Figurine Iran, Khurasan 12th century Bronze Museum Purchase, 1949.20 Cast in the form of a reclining cat with forepaws outstretched, the body of the figurine is decorated with carved cartouches filled with benedictory inscriptions, crescent motifs, and scrolls. Its eyes and eyebrows are inlaid with copper. While some scholars have argued that such figurines were used as pumice stone holders, others thought they were primarily ornamental. One recent example, however, has been found to contain lead, suggesting that they could have been used as weights.

Dionysos and Ariadne Floor Mosaic 3rd century A.D. Material: stone cubes (limestone & marble) embedded in lime mortar Antioch Excavation, 1936.25 This mosaic depicts Dionysos, god of wine, and his bride Ariadne. The ancient visitor entering the room was greeted by these two congenial divinities. The subject and the Greek inscription of the mosaic panels on both sides of Dionysos and Ariadne suggest that these two busts are the divine host and hostess of the banquet about to begin in the rooms beyond.

Godfrey of Bouillon possibly Flemish or French about 1500 dyed wool The John Woodman Higgins Armory Collection, 2014.100

Shunsen Natori Japanese, 1886-1960 Shin Nigao Magazine: Issue 4, Sadayakko as Queen Artemis, October 1915 Published by: Nigaodo Woodblock print; ink and color on paper Museum purchase, 2024.167 Natori Shunsen, a master of shin hanga actor prints (yakusha-e), created this portrait for the 1915 issue of Shin Nigao, a magazine celebrating kabuki actors. The print features Sadayakko (1871-1946), a trailblazing actress who introduced traditional Japanese theater to Western audiences during her 1899 tour of Europe and the U.S. Her later performances fused Japanese and Western elements, exemplified by her costume for her role Queen Artemis, which was likely inspired by the Greek warrior-queen Artemisia of Halicarnassus, in the play Ikusagami. It combines a laurel wreath and robes reminiscent of those from Western antiquity, with kabuki's red and white kumadori makeup. These performances captivated audiences worldwide, earning admiration from artists like Pablo Picasso and Auguste Rodin.

Choice cuts from my return visit to the @worcesterartmuseum.bsky.social yesterday.

-12th c. Iranian bronze cat figurine

-mosaic of Dionysus & Ariadne from Antioch 3rd c. CE

-early 16th c. French/Flemish tapestry of Godfrey de Buillon

-20th c. Japanese print of actress playing Queen Artemisia

I co-lead a reading group on Joyce's Ulysses at the @worcesterartmuseum.bsky.social To celebrate the museum is hosting a Bloomsday event on Sunday, June 15. The schedule is exciting and has many events for children. Please bring your families! #ulysses #jamesjoyce

Thanks! We're all extremely excited.

It was tough seeing this post last week and not being able to say anything yet!

Worcester Art Museum announces opening date of new arms and armor galleries The galleries will open to the public on Nov. 22 after more than a decade of planning, fundraising and construction. The newly designed, 5,000-square-foot space will display over 1,000 objects, includ...

⚔️ The galleries will open to the public on Nov. 22 after more than a decade of planning, fundraising and construction. The newly designed, 5,000-square-foot space will display over 1,000 objects, including swords, helmets and full suits of armor.

We just announced today - we'll have almost all of the pieces on display this fall! The new Arms & Armor Galleries are opening November 22nd.

"Reflections of a Changing Japan: The Evolution of Shin Hanga" will run March 29–June 29. Learn more at the link:

www.worcesterart.org/exhibitions/...

Preparator Rhys is using a light meter here to make sure light levels for each work are within an appropriate range of foot-candles determined by our Conservation team, and applies filters and screens to the lights to diffuse them as needed.

#artmuseum #museum #shinhanga #japaneseart

A special concern in exhibitions of works on paper like these is the light level. Light exposure damages the paper over time, and we want to make sure visitors like you can see and appreciate the works while also preserving them for the future.

It's almost March 29, which means "Reflections of a Changing Japan: The Evolution of Shin Hanga" is almost open! Here's a sneak peek behind the scenes.

Don’t miss the rare opportunity to get the full view of these works and more in “From the Vault: Collecting Tapestries at the Worcester Art Museum,” running May 3-July 27, 2025.

Flemish, French, "Trojan War Series: The Centaur (The Sagittary fighting the Greeks)," about 1475, wool, Gift from the estate of Mrs. Aldus Chapin Higgins, 1970.125

Workshop of Vaage, "Feast of Herod and Decapitation of St. John," 17th century, interlocking tapestry, Museum Purchase, 1929.2

Flemish, "Titus Receiving Tribute from Tyre," 1500s, wool, Presented to the Worcester Art Museum by Flora Whitney Miller, Barbara Whitney Henry, and Major Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney, in memory of their mother, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, who, by the creation in her Will of a Trust for the Encouragement of Art, made this gift possible, 1942.36

Flemish, "Keys being Offered to a Knight," 15th century, tapestry, Gift of Philip M. Morgan from the estate of Paul B. Morgan, 1954.27

Here are some of the crispy details from our tapestry photoshoot! We hope you enjoy this up-close look at the skill required to create intricate woven images.

Yes the @worcesterartmuseum.bsky.social has some amazing pieces! Here's a write up for those who haven't seen it worcester.emuseum.com/objects/1618...

We’re taking new photos of these tapestries to get ready for “From the Vault: Collecting Tapestries at the Worcester Art Museum,” running May 3-July 27, 2025. This will be a rare opportunity to see these tapestries and more, from as far back as the 3rd century to as recent as 2024. Don’t miss it!

Ever wondered how to photograph a massive tapestry? Well, you need a really big floor, some nice lights, and some way for the photographer to get pretty high up… the results are worth the effort, though! Check in tomorrow for some beautiful details from this photoshoot.

#bsmuseums #artmuseum

I love this pairing at the @worcesterartmuseum.bsky.social Flora in Winter flower show. The art on the right is "Infinite Indigenous Queer Love" by Jeffrey Gibson. Be sure to see the floral show this weekend! #Worcester #worcesterma #Massachusetts #art #flower

Flower arrangement pairing with sculpture

I love this floral arrangement! It's part of the @worcesterartmuseum.bsky.social Flora in Winter flower show! Be sure to see it this weekend, it's only up for a few days! #Worcester #worcesterma #Massachusetts

Flower arrangement paired with statue

An interesting pairing! Be sure to check out the @worcesterartmuseum.bsky.social Flora in Winter flower show this weekend. It's only up for a few days. Lots of cool arrangements! #Worcester #worcesterma #Massachusetts

Some of the flower pairings at the @worcesterartmuseum.bsky.social Flora in Winter flower show are fairly abstract. What do you think of this one? Be sure to see the show this weekend! #Worcester #worcesterma #Massachusetts #flowerdesign #painting

The flower show at the @worcesterartmuseum.bsky.social is so amazing!! I love seeing this every year. This weekend only!! #Worcester #worcesterma #Massachusetts

Worcester Art Museum returns ancient vessels tied to dealer Robert Hecht to Italy The two black-figure ceramics will remain on view at the Massachusetts museum for up to eight years as part of a new agreement between the institution and the Italian culture ministry

The @worcesterartmuseum.bsky.social has agreed to return two ancient Greek black-figure ceramics, a kylix and an amphora, to Italy after determining they were illegally taken, with the objects remaining on display for up to 8 years under a long-term loan agreement.

Full story here:

Tomorrow at 2:00 pm at the @worcesterartmuseum.bsky.social! Come hear my talk about art modeling in conjunction with their current show "Twentieth-Century Nudes from the Tate"!
www.worcesterart.org/events/talk-...

Learn more at www.worcesterart.org/exhibitions/...

🖼️🌬️:
Winslow Homer, "The Gale," 1883–1893, oil on canvas, Museum Purchase, 1916.48

As renovations are completed, works in the gallery will rotate. Plus, you'll be able to see our conservators work on paintings in the gallery before they're brought back into their newly-renovated spaces!

You've probably noticed that some of our galleries have temporarily closed as part of this!

Opening February 1, the "While We Build" gallery will showcase fan-favorite pieces brought back on view, like Winslow Homer's "The Gale," Paul Revere's silver teapot, and works from the Ancient Americas.

We're currently undergoing an unprecedented transformation, renovating and upgrading our 125-year-old campus to create a better experience for our visitors and provide an optimal environment for the art collection we steward.

Tsukioka Yoshitoshi “Fujiwara Yasumasa Playing the Flute by Moonlight” 1882.
Featured in “Japanese Woodblock Prints 1680 – 1980”, publishing soon.
#JapanesePrints #woodblock #woodblockprints #prints #printmaking
@worcesterartmuseum.bsky.social #triptych
#art #books #publishing #TsukiokaYoshitoshi

NELUG-Hanukkah Mosaic at Worcester Art Museum

We almost filled the board! It was fun to share our LEGO supplies and encourage museum visitors of all ages as they built squares for a collaborative mosaic... Visit the WAM @worcesterartmuseum.bsky.social to see the finished work in person. #NELUG #LEGO

Following the event, copies will be available in our Shop. Learn more about Champagne, Chocolate, and Shopping at www.worcesterart.org/events/after...

Be among the first to get your hands on this book when it debuts at our Champagne, Chocolate, and Shopping After Hours event this Friday evening, December 13! WAM Members receive a 25% discount on this and everything else in the Shop, one night only.

Photograph of a book titled "WAM 100," with a handsome cover featuring works of art, propped up in wintry garland

A book open on a ledge to a page featuring Judith Leyster's painting "A Game of Tric-Trac," with the Worcester Hunt Mosaic in the background

Introducing "WAM 100," our new publication featuring 100 collection-defining objects with stunning photographs and writings from our curatorial team!