Collections

Seeking Divine Answers in Ancient Christian Egypt
An ancient Egyptian manuscript at the Harvard Art Museums reveals how early Christian pilgrims received not-so-random answers from God.
By Chance Bonar

American Soldier Photography
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

Year in Review: 2022
Take a moment to look back with us as we celebrate 2022!
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

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

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

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.
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

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