Social Fabrics, Prints from Brandywine, and White Shadows

In this virtual tour, curators will introduce the latest special exhibitions at the Harvard Art Museums. Each presentation will be followed by a short Q&A.

Social Fabrics: Inscribed Textiles from Medieval Egyptian Tombs
(January 22–May 8, 2022)
From swaddling newborns to enshrouding the deceased, woven fabrics touch nearly every aspect of human existence. The textiles in Social Fabrics: Inscribed Textiles from Medieval Egyptian Tombs are particularly meaningful, for they tell a bigger story about political and social power, class, trade, and concerns for the afterlife during a transformative period in Egyptian history. Speaking across centuries, the textiles—including loans from Dumbarton Oaks and other institutions—invite us to consider the ways in which we structure society and how we organize and announce our social relations.

Prints from the Brandywine Workshop and Archives: Creative Communities
(March 4–July 31, 2022)
Founded by Allan Edmunds in Philadelphia in 1972, the Brandywine Workshop and Archives provides a fertile environment for artists from diverse backgrounds to create cutting-edge prints. This exhibition marks the first presentation of a group of works acquired by the Harvard Art Museums from the workshop in 2018. Comprising prints and proofs by 30 artists, the collection spans the history of the workshop, from the early 1970s to today, and includes works by well-known artists as well as those who had not yet found representation in the marketplace or museum collections when they arrived at Brandywine.

White Shadows: Anneliese Hager and the Camera-less Photograph
(March 4–July 31, 2022)
Anneliese Hager (1904–1997) made significant contributions to the medium of camera-less photography and to the wider surrealist movement in Europe. The camera-less photograph, or photogram, is an image made by placing objects directly on (or in close proximity to) a light-sensitive surface and then exposing the assembled material to light. The first exhibition to focus on the role of women makers in the history of the photogram, White Shadows will showcase 29 recently acquired photograms made by the artist between the late 1940s and 1960s, as well as a variety of light-based works by Hager’s predecessors and contemporaries.

Additional exhibition tours will be offered during the run of the shows. Keep an eye on our calendar for more information about these and other related programs.

Led by:
Soyoung Lee, Landon and Lavinia Clay Chief Curator, Harvard Art Museums
Elizabeth Dospěl Williams, Associate Curator, Byzantine Collection, Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection
Elizabeth Rudy, Carl A. Weyerhaeuser Curator of Prints, Division of European and American Art, Harvard Art Museums
Sarah Kianovsky, Curator of the Collection, Division of Modern and Contemporary Art, Harvard Art Museums
Lynette Roth, Daimler Curator of the Busch-Reisinger Museum, Division of Modern and Contemporary Art, Harvard Art Museums

This tour will take place online via Zoom. The event is free and open to all, but registration is required. To register, please complete this online form.

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The Harvard Art Museums are committed to accessibility for all visitors. For anyone requiring accessibility accommodations for our programs, please contact us at am_register@harvard.edu at least 48 hours in advance.

The Harvard Art Museums are open to the public. Currently, reservations are required for all visitors and can be made up to three weeks in advance. Please visit the museum website for more information.