The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH) recently went on a bit of a shopping spree — and accepted some seriously impressive gifts. We're talking centuries-old textiles, Symbolist masterworks unseen for over a hundred years, and, because apparently that's where we are now, animatronic sculptures.
MFAH director Gary Tinterow clearly knows how to make an entrance with new acquisitions. He highlighted two showstoppers: a 17th-century Indian wall hanging, Ladies of the Court, which is part of a series art historians are calling the most significant Indian textile discovery in a century. And then there's the Fernand Khnopff triptych — three drawings that vanished from public view in 1912. That's right, a piece that's been playing hide-and-seek for 112 years just resurfaced in Houston.
From Ancient to Animatronic
Not content to live in the past, the museum also snapped up some thoroughly modern marvels. Leading the charge are animatronic sculptures by Anicka Yi, which promise to add a certain... je ne sais quoi to the galleries. Other contemporary heavy-hitters like Hew Locke, Tatsuo Miyajima, Satoru Ozaki, and Raqib Shaw also joined the ranks.
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Start Your News DetoxFor those who prefer their art a little less prone to whirring, the MFAH also acquired a trio of early 20th-century Symbolist works: Khnopff's long-lost drawings (in their original, artist-designed frame, naturally), a lithograph by Edvard Munch, and a painting by Ferdinand Hodler.
And let's not forget the generous patrons. The collection now boasts a pastel by Mary Cassatt and a painting by Peter Bradley, thanks to various donors. The late architect Hugo V. Neuhaus, Jr. bequeathed a treasure trove of postwar abstractionist works, including pieces by Hans Hoffmann, Helen Frankenthaler, and Morris Louis. Houston collectors Frank and Michelle Hevrdijs also contributed, bringing in 19th-century works by Jean-Léon Gérôme and Christian Adolf Schreyer.
So, if you're looking for a museum that can take you from courtly Indian textiles to a century-old mystery to robots, Houston's got you covered. Someone's going to have a very interesting time curating the next exhibition.
