Wednesday, September 10, 2025

Walter's Art Museum: Ancient Art: Egyptian, Middle Eastern, Greek and Roman

 From Medieval Art to Ancient Art at Baltimore's Walter Art Museum.  This sampling barely scratches the surface.  I show you one icon, they have 50+ on display.  One Amphora, they have 30...  You get the picture.  Enjoy!

We begin with Ancient Egypt.

WALL PAINTING OF A PRIESTESS HOLDING A SISTRUM
Egyptian, 19th - 20th Dynasty, circa 1290-1070 BCE

SISTRUM
Egyptian Late Period, circa 712-332 BCE

GODS BEARING GIFTS
Egyptian, 30th Dynasty, circa 360-313 BCE


ISIS NURSING HORUS
Egyptian, Late Period 26th Dynasty, circa 664-525 BCE

[LEFT] ISIS SEATED
Egyptian, Late Period 25th-26th Dynasties, circa 712-550 BCE
[MIDDLEOSIRIS ON A THRONE
Egyptian, Late Period 26th Dynasty, circa 664-525 BCE
[RIGHTHORUS THE CHILD
Egyptian, Late Period 26th-30th Dynasties, circa 664-343 BCE

BABOON MUMMY COFFIN
Egyptian, Late Period 30th Dynasty, circa 380-12 BCE

SET OF FOUR CANOPIC JARS
Egyptian, Third Intermediate Period, 21st-24th Dynasties, circa 1070-712 BCE

HEDGEHOG-SHAPED COSMETIC VESSEL
Egyptian, Late Period circa 6th-5th Centuries BCE

CAT
Egyptian, Late Period 26th Century, circa 700-100 BCE

ANCIENT NEAR EASTERN ART

GOAT
Northern Syrian, circa 10th-9th Centuries BCE

RELIEF WITH A WINGED GENIUS
Neo-Assyrian, circa 883-359 BCE

Display with varied examples of the primacy of the writing in the cultures.

SUMERIAN TEMPLE HYMN
Babylonian, circa 1800-1600 BCE

PAIR OF DEITIES
Hittite, circa 1400-1200 BCE

GREEK AND ROMAN ART

FEMALE FIGURE
Cycladic, circa 2500-2400 BCE

ACROBAT PERFORMING A HANDSTAND
Egyptian, Late circa 4th-1st Century

RED-FIGURE VOLUTE KRATER
South Italian, circa 340-330 BCE

[DETAIL]

HANDLE IN THE FORM OF A PANTHER
Etruscan, 5th Century BCE

TORSO OF AN EMPEROR IN ARMOR
Roman, circa AD 14-68

ZEUS LABRAUNDOS
Roman, AD 1st Century

[DETAIL]

PORTRAIT OF A WOMAN
Roman, circa AD 100

PORTRAIT OF A MAN
Roman, AD Late 1st Century

Roman Sarcophagi: Ancient Funeral Home Sales Office?

SUCELLAS
Roman, circa AD 1st-2nd Century

FLOOR MOSAIC FISH
Roman, circa AD 2nd-3rd Century

Monday, September 8, 2025

Walters Art Museum: Medieval Art 3rd through 18th Centuries

 The Walters Art Museum is the result of another one of those 19th century Industrialist robber barons that we owe so much to.  They may have raped and pillaged our natural resources, banked on the weakness of the human spirit and abused the poorest amongst us, but darned if they didn't leave a trail of amazing museums in their wake!  Walters and his sons made their nut off of a combination of iron smelting, grain exporting and alcohol sales--quite a diverse portfolio.  And somewhere along the way, they started to fancy art.  What started out as an occasional opening up of their home to the public to show off some of their collection, turned into a full fledged museum constructed one block south of their mansion.  It was built in the Romanesque Palazzo-style between 1905-1909.  One of the unique aspects of the Walters is that it is free to the public.

In the mid-1970's the entire back side of the original building was combined with a Brutalist-style four-story tall Annex that more than doubled the size of the original.  It was a harsh structure.  The closest thing I've ever seen to it is the Denver Art Museum, and it's currently undergoing a massive renovation.  In 1998, the annex was upgraded with the addition of a multi-storied glass window atrium over the Center Street lobby to open and soften the overall effect.  The results are very pleasing.  

A third physical component is the adjacent Hackerman House, a 3 story Greek Revival mansion built in 1850 and incorporating into the museum in 1991.  The result of all of this is also a museum that can seem so efficient and logical, then suddenly freakishly confusing!  The guest map is also way too conceptual to be actually helpful.  While it may indicate one elevator, there may actually be up to three located in close proximity but not side by side.  The signage to get from one place to another is also ambiguous.  But, hey--it's free!

 Let's continue with some highlights from the Medieval collections.  The depth and breadth of Medieval Art at the Walters Art Museum is honestly breathtaking.  Name a medium.  They have something/s.  Name a culture.  They have something/s.  Name a type.  They have something/s.  And more than just something.  Gold, Ivory, Marble, Wood, Precious Stones, Bronze, Fabric, ceramic, glass... Byzantine, Egyptian, Visigoth, French, Spanish, Catalonia, Turkish, Iranian, German...etc.  Jewelry, utensils, weapons, paintings, statuary, books, reliquaries, tools, windows, furniture, pottery, etc.  It's hard to imagine something that wasn't there.  Here are some personal highlights and gallery views.




PLAQUE WITH APOLLO
Early Byzantine (Egypt), circa 3rd-4th centuries

ROUNDEL WITH FISH AND DUCKS
Byzantine (Egypt), 10th century

BOOK-COVER PLAQUE WITH THE CRUCIFIXION
AND HOLY WOMAN AT THE TOMB
Carolinian (Northern France), circa 870-880

PAIR OF EAGLE FIBULAE
Visigoth (Spain) 6th century

HORSE TRAPPINGS
Hunnish (Southwestern Russia) circa 4th-5th centuries

Illustration of a Hun horseman, his horse arrayed with similar trappings.


ALTAR FRONTAL WITH CHRIST IN MAJESTY
AND THE LIFE OF SAINT MARTIN
Catalonian (Spain) 1250 CE

WINDOW PANEL WITH SAINT VINCENT ON THE RACK
French, 1245-47

COMB
Italian (Sicily), late 12th century

DIPTYCH LEAF WITH THE PASSION OF CHRIST
German, late 14th century


MOURNER
Netherlandish, circa 1450 CE

PLATE WITH A CASTLE
Spanish, circa 1450-65

A residence set up in the style of a wealthy Venetian family.  The table is a replica and on it are replicas of both a checker board and a chess set.  Guests may sit down and play a game or two if they wish.

ARMOR
German, circa 1530-60

HELMETS AND BODY ARMOR
Turkish and Iranian, mid-15th to possibly early 18th century.