DK Travel : Boston : Museum of Fine Arts

Museum of Fine Arts

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Over its 130 year-plus history, Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) has collected some 350,000 pieces from an array of cultures and civilizations, ranging from ancient Egyptian tomb treasures to stylish modern artworks. Today, the MFA boasts superlative collections of ancient Egyptian, Japanese, colonial New England, and Impressionist works, as well as contemporary and folk art.

Gallery Guide

Many of the East Wing’s holdings will be on tour during the MFA’s multi-year, $425-million expansion project but the MFA should still remain high on any visitor’s must-see list. Middle Eastern, Egyptian, Nubian, and Asian galleries, as well as a superb collection of American decorative arts and sculpture, are all on the first floor. Stop to admire the Sargent murals on the rotunda en route to the second floor galleries where you’ll find the Chinese, Japanese, Impressionist, and European art collections.

For more art, visit the neighboring Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (see Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum)

Top 10 Features

1. La Japonaise

Claude Monet’s 1876 portrait reflects a time when Japanese culture fascinated Europe’s most style-conscious circles. The model, interestingly, is Monet’s wife, Camille.
2. Japanese Temple Room

With its wood paneling and subdued lighting, the Temple Room evokes ancient Japanese shrines atop mist-enshrouded mountains. The statues, which date from as early as the seventh century, depict prominent figures from Buddhist texts.
3. John Singer Sargent Murals

Having secured some of Sargent’s most important portraiture in the early-20th century, the MFA went one step further and commissioned the artist to paint murals and bas-reliefs on its central rotunda and colonnade.
4. John Singleton Copley Portraits

The self-taught, Boston-born Copley made a name for himself by painting the most affluent and influential Bostonians of his day, from pre-Revolutionary figures like John Hancock to early American presidents.
5. Egyptian Royal Pectoral

This extremely rare chest ornament is nearly 4,000 years old. A vulture is depicted with a cobra on its left wing, ready to strike. This juxtaposition symbolized the union of Upper and Lower Egypt.
6. Tomb Treasure of King Aspelta

This assortment of artifacts belonging to a 6th-century BC Nubian king was recovered in 1920 at Nuri in present-day Sudan during a MFA/ Harvard joint expedition.
7. Postman Joseph Roulin

The MFA boasts some of Vincent van Gogh’s most important work, including this 1888 oil, which was painted during his stay in Arles, France.
8. Silverwork by Paul Revere

Famed for his midnight ride, Revere (see Paul Revere (1735–1818)) was also known for his masterful silverwork. The breadth of his ability is apparent in the museum’s 200-piece collection, including this Sons of Liberty bowl.
9. Dance at Bougival

This endearing image (1883) of a couple dancing is among Renoir’s most beloved works. It exemplifies the artist’s knack for taking a timeless situation and modernizing it by dressing his subjects in the latest fashions.
10. Christ in Majesty with Symbols

Acquired in 1919 from a small Spanish church, this medieval fresco had an amazingly complex journey to Boston, which involved waterproofing it with lime and Parmesan for safe transport.

Practical Information

The MFA boasts a restaurant on each of its three levels, escalating in quality and price as you move from the courtyard level upward. Boston’s hottest singles meet for jazz and drinks at MFA First Fridays – call ahead for times and dates. Free entry with MFA general admission. Free admission to the museum on Wednesdays from 4 to 9.45pm. 465 Huntington Av (Av of the Arts) 617 267 9300 www.mfa.org “T” station: Museum (green line/E train) Open: 10am–4:45pm Mon–Tue, 10am–9:45pm Wed–Fri (some galleries open after 5pm on Thu & Fri); 10am–4:45pm Sat–Sun Adm: $15