Two weeks ago, the Department of Homeland Security revealed that over 2,300 children were separated from their families along the Mexico-U.S. border under President Trump’s “zero tolerance” immigration policy. Although he has since reversed this order, parents and children remain separated in detainment centers, and it …
I’ll admit it. Oil portraits are not my thing. Yes, I am a museum studies student, and yes, I think there’s something to love about pretty much all museums. But if you take me to the Met or the MFA, I am not dragging you …
The Gibson House Museum is currently looking for part-time, fill-in guides to occasionally cover tours. Candidates should feel comfortable with public speaking and have a strong interest in history, architecture, or decorative arts. The museum is open Wednesday –Sunday, and tours are offered at 1:00, 2:00, and 3:00. The position pays $38.50/day, and hours are approximately 12:30 to 4:00. Responsibilities include opening and closing the museum.
Located in Boston’s Back Bay, the Gibson House Museum is a time capsule of daily life during the mid-nineteenth to early twentieth centuries, reflecting three generations of Gibson family occupancy (1859–1954). Since 1957, it has been operated as a house museum, displaying four floors of Victorian and Edwardian decorative arts. The Gibson House is a National Historic Landmark and is registered on the Massachusetts State Register of Historic Places.
Interested applicants should send their cover letter and resume to Michelle Coughlin, Museum Administrator: info@thegibsonhouse.org
Here’s the weekly jobs roundup for the week of June 18th! New England Registrar’s Office Intern [Harvard Art Museum, Cambridge, MA] Assistant Manager of Exhibits and Facilities [EcoTarium, Worcester, MA] Visitor Engagement Fellow [Arnold Arboretum of Harvard, Boston, MA] Associate Collections Photographer [Northeast Document Conservation …
This week’s post comes from Jingya Guo, a graduate student in the History and Museum Studies program As a new graduate student of Museum Studies so far, I can always notice shifts inside my understanding of museums. I’ve been to museums many times when I …
Thomas Eakins was an American painter, photographer, and sculptor most known for his portraiture and genre works. Born in Philadelphia in 1844, Eakins has been called the “father of modern realism in American Art.” His work has been exhibited internationally, in institutions such as the Louvre, Met, LACMA, and the Nagoya/Boston Museum of Fine Arts in Japan. Although Eakins’ works have been widely displayed and researched, his Portrait of Ella Crowell, completed in 1882, has never before been exhibited. The Fitchburg Art Museum recently sent this painting to be restored, and intends to one day bring this painting, and its dark story, to light.
The Portrait of Ella Crowell is in fact a double-sided oil painting of Eakins’ oldest niece, Ella Crowell, who studied with him before her death. The front side, or recto, depicts Ella in profile, who looks down towards the bottom left hand corner of the canvas. Eakins has carefully highlighted her face and neck, while her dark hair and burgundy dress blend in with the background. The canvas’s verso showcases Ella seated on a wooden chair, her entire body in profile. Her shadowy representation almost foreshadows the tragic events that unfolded a few years after the completion of her portrait: in 1897, Ella committed suicide, after making accusations of her uncle’s sexual misconduct (see Museums in the Age of #MeToo).
While the painting is an outstanding example of Eakins’ technique and style, it was covered with dust and debris, and in dire need of restoration. The Fitchburg Art Museum sent the Portrait of Ella Crowell to the Worcester Art Museum’s conservation lab to be retouched and shined. There, conservators delicately toned and re-saturated both sides of the canvas, significantly brightening its now-lustrous appearance.
Upon the painting’s initial inspection, conservators found a small tear along its side. Removing a single thread from the canvas’s edge, conservators were able to sew the tear, ensuring the patchwork matched the original canvas. Several drops of white paint were also scattered across the seated portrait of Ella. Using a process known as “X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy” to analyze the elements found in the paint drops, it was revealed that the white dots did not contain titanium, meaning they were original to the painting. Conservators carefully removed the distracting white dots by using a special solution of water and heat. Finally, several layers of varnish were removed, producing an overall more illuminating effect.
Today, the multidimensional Portrait of Ella Crowell now shines, and is ready to be exhibited for the first time. However, it is also a painting that tells the hushed story of Eakins’ controversial behavior, a story that is now more important than ever to tell in the age of the #MeToo movement. The Fitchburg Art Museums intends to one day share this painting, and Ella’s story, with visitors.