Index Magazine | Harvard Art Museums

An open book reveals rows of Coptic letters, handwritten in dark brown ink. The pages are darkened, and the frail edges are irregular.

Seeking Divine Answers in Ancient Christian Egypt

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An ancient Egyptian manuscript at the Harvard Art Museums reveals how early Christian pilgrims received not-so-random answers from God.

By Chance Bonar

May 21, 2023

A woodblock print shows a sparrow perched on a branch. The painting is executed in black ink and delicate gradations of color.

Art by the Book: The Many Uses of Woodblock Painting Manuals

By Krystle Brown

May 3, 2023

A man looks down at a box filled with various stacks of photographs.

American Soldier Photography

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Curatorial fellow Jackson Davidow considers the genre of soldier photography, looking closely at examples in the museums’ photography collection, including works recently gifted to the museums.

By Jackson Davidow

April 12, 2023

Year in Review: 2022

Take a moment to look back with us as we celebrate 2022!

December 20, 2022

This painting, mostly in olive hues, depicts an African American soldier in uniform, with a window behind him.

Roundtable Conversation: WHERE ARE ALL THE BLACK PEOPLE AT, on Vernacular Photography

Last summer, photography curator Makeda Best met with people associated with the Boston-based grassroots arts initiative WHERE ARE ALL THE BLACK PEOPLE AT to discuss a painting of an unidentified Black soldier, visibility in the museums, and the impact of an installation of photographs depicting eve...

By Makeda Best

December 1, 2022

This full-length painting shows a standing female figure draped in a sheer robe that covers her from neck to ankle. In front of her feet is a checkered rug, on top of which lies a yellow flower. In the background is a cascade of white blossoms and a patterned curtain. The painting is surrounded by a gold frame with linear running-bead ornamentation.

Reframing Albert Moore’s Study for “Blossoms”: Historical Design, Contemporary Production

Read how a curatorial fellow and frame conservator teamed up to create a historically accurate reproduction of an unusual 19th-century frame.

By Allison Jackson, Sophie Lynford

June 13, 2022

Two side-by-side images each show a sculpture of a falcon wearing a crown. The sculpture is atop a small platform. The images face each other. The image at left is a black and white X-radiograph, which reveals internal elements of the sculpture. The image at right is a color photograph and shows the sculpture as brownish-green set against a neutral gray ground.

Introducing the Art + Science Pathway

Stories about what’s hidden within a selection of works—discovered through technical analysis—are now highlighted in the galleries.

By Sophie Lynford, Kate Smith

May 27, 2022

Hands are holding a cell phone that is displaying an image of the Harvard Art Museums' website homepage.

Harvard Art Museums from Home

Everything you need for a virtual visit to the museums—online events, audio and video offerings, activity books to download, and more.

May 13, 2022

This print shows a woman holding a child and seated on a chair in a living room with her family gathered around her.

Multi-layered: Louis Delsarte’s Color Separations

A conservation scientist and paper conservator explain how Louis Delsarte made his photolithograph Unity using color separations.

By Christina Taylor, Georgina Rayner

May 12, 2022

Two paintings appear next to each other in a gallery. On the left, positioned on a gray flat pillar in front of a gallery wall, is a multicolored abstract painting that shows a group of people surrounded by various patterns; on the right is an abstract painting hanging on the wall that depicts a close-up of a gathering of human-like shapes. Label text is to the right of the painting on the wall.

Building Community through Art

Francesca Bewer, from the Harvard Art Museums, and Erin Muirhead McCarty, from Community Art Center, discuss their collaboration on a youth program last summer in Cambridge.

By Andres Mendoza

May 11, 2022

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