JUST BACK FROM: Boston Museum of Fine Art

Van Gogh exhibtion at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.

Contemplating a grey building in the rain, scattered and sprawling like a child’s toy collection on Christmas day, it is hard to imagine the treasures that lie within from the outside.

The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA) is regarded as one of the most renowned art institutions in the United States, with a vast and diverse collection spanning thousands of years and multiple cultures:

The MFA hosts over 500,000 works of art, making it one of the most comprehensive museums in the Americas. Its holdings range from ancient artifacts to contemporary pieces.

The museum has a reputation for in representing art from around the world, with particularly strong collections in Egyptian, Asian, European, and American art.

The building combines its original Beaux-Arts structure (opened in 1909) with modern expansions, like the striking Art of the Americas Wing designed by Norman Foster, adding a contemporary flair to the experience.

Unlike genre specialised museums, the MFA extends itself to cover virtually every medium and historical era—paintings, sculptures, textiles, jewelry, musical instruments, and decorative arts—offering a broad cultural journey.

That sounds like a big ask, but, unusually, it succeeds. My personal favourites are the indigenous section, which takes a while to find but is worth the exploration and, being from Europe, usually head to the Americas Wing. My local choice? Childe Hassam’s At Dusk, Boston Common at twilight, where a fashionably dressed woman strolls along one of the gracious promenades constructed on Boston Common to transform a grazing area and parade ground into an elegant urban oasis.

One of the great Boston landscape paintings in Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts, At Dusk (Boston Common at Twilight),1885-86 Oil on canvas by Childe Hassam (1859-1935) Hassam depicted Boston’s oldest park looking southwest along Tremont toward Boyiston Street. He was familiar with modern French art and its subjects drawn from contemporary life. Here, a fashionably dressed woman strolls along one of the gracious promenades constructed on Boston Common to transtorm a grazing area and parade ground into an elegant urban oasis. Behind her, trolley cars sit in rush hour traffic along Tremont Street, lined with the recently constructed mercantile buildings that replaced old row houses. Artificial light glows from streetlights and storefronts. Using a rusty-pink palette to unify his winter scene, Hassam created a gentle vision of the modern city in harmony with nature.

Art of the Americas Wing:

John Singer Sargent’s Murals: Look for his breathtaking murals in the rotunda and colonnade, showcasing his mastery of light and color.

Copley Portraits: Works by John Singleton Copley, like his iconic Paul Revere, highlight early American art.

Americas Collection: Spanning pre-Columbian artifacts to modern works, including pieces by Georgia O’Keeffe and Jackson Pollock.

Ancient World:

Egyptian Collection: One of the finest outside Egypt, featuring mummies, sarcophagi, and the colossal statue of King Menkaura (Mycerinus) from 2490–2472 BCE.
Nubian Art: A rare and extensive collection from ancient Nubia, with jewelry and pottery rivaling Egypt’s treasures.

Asian Art:

Japanese Buddhist Temple Room: A serene space with sculptures and artifacts, including the majestic 13th-century Dainichi Nyorai Buddha.
Chinese Calligraphy and Paintings: Thousands of works, some dating back over a millennium, showcase East Asian mastery.

European Masterpieces:

Monet and Impressionism: A stellar lineup with Monet’s La Japonaise and Renoir’s Dance at Bougival.
Van Gogh: Don’t miss Postman Joseph Roulin, a vivid example of his bold style.

Musical Instruments:

A unique gallery with over 1,300 instruments, from ornate 17th-century guitars to ancient drums, blending art and sound.

Contemporary Art:

Works by artists like Kara Walker and Takashi Murakami bring modern perspectives into the mix, often rotating in special exhibitions.
The Courtyard: The Linde Family Wing’s glass-enclosed courtyard is a stunning spot to relax, with natural light illuminating sculptures.

Special Exhibitions:

The latest in the calendar of MFA blockbuster shows is the exhibition on the Roulin family photographs by Van Gogh in 1888. The exhibition traces Van Gogh’s friendship with a modest family from Arles, predecessors with whom he saw a long artistic connection and his attempt to create a community of fellow artists.