The Morgan: Exhibits — ‘Early Modern Illustrated Herbs’ Opens 10.6 / “Morgan’s Bibles” Opens 10.20 …

Seeds of Knowledge highlights the collection of 15th to 17th-century European printed herbals of Dr. Peter Goop (Liechtenstein). Herbals were highly illustrated, critical texts to doctors and lay healthcare providers that included both the folkloric and medicinal uses of plants. The text and illustrations were repeatedly refined as the medicinal benefits of a plant’s use were more clearly understood and the style of illustration tended towards higher degrees of naturalism. These books were working manuals and frequently annotated by readers with notes of herbal recipes/medicines or other uses not found in the printed text. Dr. Goop’s collection is one of the most extensive in private hands. Using the Morgan’s 10th-century manuscript of Dioscurides’ De materia medica (MS M.652) as a centerpiece, this Thaw Gallery exhibition will explore developments in the understanding of the healthful and healing properties of plants, as Europe moved away from medicinal folklore towards an increased understanding of the natural world.

Open through January 14, 2024

The Bible is a cornerstone of religion, art, and literature in the western world. Few books can demonstrate the power of the printed word as vividly as scripture—a bedrock of faith, an object of veneration, a formative influence on language and culture. For Pierpont Morgan it represented a magnificent opportunity to express his religious convictions through his collecting interests in archaeological artifacts, illuminated manuscripts, early printed books, decorative arts, and master drawings. This exhibition includes masterpieces in each of these mediums, including a cuneiform tablet with the deluge story, the earliest surviving first five verses of the Septuagint Genesis, the Lindau Gospels treasure binding, the Golden Gospels of Henry VIII, the Gutenberg Bible, Rubens drawings, and Rembrandt prints. Viewed as an ensemble, Morgan’s collection was an inspirational accomplishment predicated on the historical importance and artistic excellence of his books.

Open through January 21, 2024

Join curators John Bidwell and Jesse R. Erickson for a Virtual Advance Look on Tuesday, September 12 at 12:30PM. Register at the link below.

The Morgan is home to one of the world’s largest and most important collections of drawings by Giambattista Tiepolo (1696–1770) and his eldest son Domenico (1727–1804), with more than 300 representative examples of their lively invention and masterful techniques. Combining highlights from the Morgan’s collection with carefully selected loans, this exhibition will provide a comprehensive look at the Tiepolos’ work as draftsmen, focusing on the role of drawing in their creative process and the distinct physical and stylistic properties of their graphic work. At the core of the collection and exhibition are substantial groups of Giambattista’s drawings that relate to major ceiling fresco projects of the 1740s and 1750s. A fresh look at the style, function, and material properties of these working drawings has yielded new insights into their purposes. Most significantly, the exhibition presents for the first time extremely rare pen studies for Tiepolo’s magnum opus, the ceiling fresco above the staircase of the Würzburg Residenz of 1752, and a group of bold sketches newly connected with his ceiling fresco of 1754 at the Venetian church of Santa Maria della Pietà. Other sections of the exhibition highlight the introduction of Domenico to the family workshop, the exchanges between father and son, and the great series drawings by both: Giambattista’s fantastic heads and figures seen di sotto in su, and Domenico’s drawings of animals, biblical scenes, and contemporary life. The exhibition will end with a wall including striking examples from Domenico’s late Punchinello series.

Open through January 28, 2024

Join curator John Marciari for a Virtual Advance Look on Wednesday, September 20 at 12:30PM.

Register at the link below.

Medieval Money, Merchants, and Morality charts the economic revolution that took place at the end of the Middle Ages and the early Renaissance. Trade was conducted on an unprecedented scale, banks were established, and coinage proliferated like never before. The widespread use of money in everyday life transformed every aspect of European society, including its values and culture.

Bringing together some of the most acclaimed manuscripts in the Morgan’s collection and other exceptional objects including a renaissance purse, a brass alms box, and a hoard of coins, this exhibition will explore the fate of the avaricious, attitudes towards the poor, contentious lending practices, and money management.

The famous Hours of Catherine of Cleves, the Hours of Henry VIII, and the Prayer Book of Queen Claude de France will be presented from a decidedly new angle, combining economic and art history to consider the early history of capitalism and the crisis in values that it sparked. These will feature alongside lesser known treasures, including an Italian account book in its original binding and a stunning leaf from a register of creditors made in Bologna, Italy, in 1394–95. As people today reflect on fluctuating markets, disparities in wealth, personal values, and morality, the themes addressed in this exhibition are as relevant as ever.

Open through March 10, 2024

Join curators Diane Wolfthal and Dei Jackson for a Virtual Advance Look on Tuesday, September 12 at 12:30PM.

Register at the link below.