In museological literature, the term ‘acquisition’ refers to the act of acquiring or receiving new objects to add to a museum’s existing collection. These objects can be obtained through various means, for instance they may be purchased, received as gifts or bequests, gained through processes of exchange or through archaeological fieldwork. Essentially, for an object to be acquired by a museum, title or legal ownership to that object must transfer from its current owner to the museum. An ‘acquisitions policy’ is a formal document that defines an institution’s strategy in acquiring objects. The adoption of an acquisitions policy not only ensures that objects are acquired in a consistent and systematic manner, but also makes it easier for …show more content…
First, general principles for the acquisition of objects are listed. These principles dictate that it is the responsibility of department curators to propose exceptional works of art to be brought into the Museum’s collection. These artworks must fulfil three basic requirements. First, the artwork must support and further the Museum's stated mission and purpose. This means that all acquisitions must be consistent with the main themes of the museum and its collection. Second, all proposed acquisitions must be in sound condition or capable of being restored to an acceptable state of preservation. This said, if the deteriorated physical condition of a piece is integral to its meaning, then exceptions may apply. Lastly, the Museum must be able to properly care for the artwork in accordance with accepted museum practices. This means that the museum should be in the position to provide appropriate storage conditions, including environmental controls, conservation treatment, insurance, …show more content…
This standard was supported by Philippe de Montebello, the Met’s former director, who argued that “orphaned objects”, objects with unknown provenance, should not be off-limits to museums. However, the so-called “10-year rolling rule” did not take into account the habit of thieves who let stolen merchandise sit for decent periods of time before attempting to market items. Under its new director Thomas P. Campbell, appointed January 2009, the Met now follows the revised AAMD guidelines, which authorizes that a museum should not acquire archaeological materials or ancient arts “unless provenance research substantiates that the work was outside its country of probable modern discovery before 1970 or was legally exported from its probable country of modern discovery after
If the above mentioned paintings do not sound intriguing, the Frick’s remarkable holdings also include works by David, Goya, Renoir, Bruegel, and Velasquez. However, its collection is not limited to paintings only as significant sculptures like Bernini’s “Head of an Angel” from 1655 and Clodion’s ”Zephyrus and Flora” from 1799 can be found there as well. Along with these sculptures, an extensive collection of Italian bronzes and eighteenth century furniture combine to create a museum which although is small in size compared to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, makes up for it with an extensive collection of carefully selected pieces from some of the world’s most renowned artists.
Imagine that one piece of history that is taken from a town. This piece of history tells l people how this town was built and all the important people that were apart of the community. “Returning Antiquities to Their Countries of Origin” by Joyce Mortimer can many people about how objects are getting taken from Museums. They should be returned immediately. There are so many artifacts out there that could be so important to people, and if someone can just imagine what it would feel to have one of the most important object taken from a museum and to be never returned again. Many people enjoy seeing these objects so why are they being taken?
To collect is to bring things together. However there is an art to collecting, as it is not simply just bringing miscellaneous things together. There is a common theme for the objects and together they serve as a special meaning to their collector. In both texts “The Museum and the Public” by Stephen Weil and Walter Benjamin “Unpacking My Library” by Walter Benjamin, and in the film “Mardi Gras: Made in China”, the purpose of collecting is to tell a story and to showcase the significance of the objects in the collection.
With works in every known medium, from every part of the world, throughout all points in history, exploring the vast collection of the Museum of Modern Art was an overwhelming experience. The objects in the Department of European Sculpture and Decorative Arts are an important historical collection, reflecting the development of a number of art forms in Western Europe. The department's holdings covered sculpture in many sizes, woodwork and furniture, ceramics and glass, jewelry, and tapestries. The gallery attracted my appreciation of the realistic qualities of the human body often portrayed in sculpture.
For years on end, countries have been fighting with big museums from other countries for ancient artifacts that belong to the original countries. The argument of whether or not the museums should be able to keep them still remains. It is the right of the country to have their own artifacts. It is imperative for countries to be able showcase their historical artifacts, therefor museums should return them to their rightful owners.
Baxandall specified his discussion about the problem by supposing that the displays of the gallery were permanent and conservative, which means that the main artifact served for inspection laid in the center of the galley around with additional elements. He also assumed that the viewers were educational members of a developed society, who both enjoyed the expected interesting object view and the functional purpose of the artifacts. After illustrating the assumption, he raised up the main question that different viewers with different cultural background may have different ideas about the artifact. This complicating position was not only the result from the viewers, but also from the object itself and the arrangers of the exhibition. The assumption is strong and will be discussed later.
Duncan’s (1991) analysis of western museums is defined through the theme of “durable objects” as a criterion to judge the heritage of American and European art as a ritual of the modern state. In this manner western art museums are built like “temples” as a symbolic and figurative representation of greatness of western culture throughout the world: “[They] are more like the traditional ceremonial monuments that museum buildings often emulate—classical temples” (Duncan 90). This interpretation of American/European museums defines a dominant source of cultural heritage that ritualizes
In “Whose Culture Is It, Anyway? ”, Kwame Anthony Appiah begins by pointing out that some of the museums of the world, particularly in the West, have large collections of artefacts and objects which were robbed from developing and poor countries. He then raises a question: who owns these cultural patrimony and properties? Our first answer may be that since they make up the cultural heritage of a people, they belong to the people and culture from whom they were taken. Appiah has doubt about this and argues that if some cultural artefacts are potentially valuable to all human beings, they should belong to all of humanity. He thinks that when they make contribution to world culture, they should be protected by being made available to those who would benefit from experiencing them and put into trusteeship of humanity.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art came about as an idea from Jon Jay in Paris, France in 1866 with the idea of “national institution gallery of art” within the United States. Once this idea was proposed, it was immediately moved forward with his return to the United States. With the help of the Union League Club in NY they began to acquire civic leaders, businessmen, artists, and collectors who aided in the creation of the museum. For over 140 years, the visitors who go here have received everything the mission of the institution states.
During my visit to the Pérez Art Museum Miami, I did more than just observing beautiful artworks. With the guidelines provided I could appreciate and study also the hidden meaning of some of the pieces I had in front of me. Some of them were easier than other ones, due to previous knowledge I had, but all of them made me examine them in a critic way that enriched my cultural heritage.
One pleasant afternoon, my classmates and I decided to visit the Houston Museum of Fine Arts to begin on our museum assignment in world literature class. According to Houston Museum of Fine Art’s staff, MFAH considers as one of the largest museums in the nation and it contains many variety forms of art with more than several thousand years of unique history. Also, I have never been in a museum in a very long time especially as big as MFAH, and my experience about the museum was unique and pleasant. Although I have observed many great types and forms of art in the museum, there were few that interested me the most.
‘Savage Beauty’ was an exhibition that pushed the boundaries of museology, in its artistic, social and critical undertakings. The questions brought to bear by the exhibition of contemporary art and culture in various situations is something I am interested in researching further with a degree in curating.
A curator needs to be able to negotiate and be willing to compromise, as it is often the task at hand to borrow from museums or other locations. Teamwork and flexibility are also valued, as the job isn’t completely independent. Museums are designed for public enjoyment, so good communication a...
...troversy as all countries have lost, to a great or lesser extent, treasures of national renown and significance over time. Wars, theft, treasure seeking, changing boundaries and migration have all in some way contributed to this diaspora of art. There is clear evidence that the historic placing of objects in locations remote from their origin has on occasion afforded protection and preservation, The Elgin Marbles in The British Museum being a case in point. However, given the overarching principle of self determination it is difficult to argue that serendipitous historic placement is sufficient reason for items of true national heritage to be kept indefinitely. A world-wide system of touring exhibitions and cultural exchange, with context being provided by the originating society may provide the natural progression to the accessible widening of people’s experiences.
To begin this discussion, it is crucial to understand what exactly art conservation and restoration is and what it entails. Art Conservation/Restoration can be defined as an array of professions dedicated to “approaching every painting (or artwork) conservatively in that only what needs attention is addressed and nothing excessive is ever performed, all of the materials used are modern…” . This is the process of careful examination, documentation, and attention and treatment of a weakening art object due to age, neglect, and utilization. These objects can range from paintings to architecture to any number of things.