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The McMullen Museum of Art at Boston College presents the North American debut of Making History: Antiquaries in Britain, which traces milestones in Britain’s history and explores ways in which scholars have interpreted that history over the past three centuries.
“Making History,” which runs through Dec. 11, showcases treasures from the Society of Antiquaries of London, a 300-year-old organization concerned with the study of the past which still thrives today.
The exhibition features 98 of the society’s most significant works, including manuscripts of the Magna Carta from 1225 and the Winton Domesday Book, as well as royal portraiture, and internationally important artifacts whichprovide a timeline for British history.
“The McMullen is pleased to share the distinguished and unparalleled collections of the Society of Antiquaries with a North American audience and to have the opportunity to celebrate the society’s contribution to more than 300 years of writing history,” says McMullen Museum Director and Professor of Art History Nancy Netzer, who is a fellow of the society.
“Making History,” based on an exhibition shown in 2007 at London’s Royal Academy of Arts, has been organized by the Society of Antiquaries of London in association with the McMullen Museum of Art, Boston College, and the Yale Center for British Art. It has been underwritten by Boston College and the Patrons of the McMullen Museum.
The exhibition has been curated by Netzer and Elisabeth Fairman, senior curator of rare books and manuscripts at the Yale Center, in association with Society of Antiquaries of London Head of Library and Collections Heather Rowland and Collections Manager Julia Dudkiewicz.
Originally formed before the existence of national museums, libraries, and galleries, the society has amassed collections of antiquities, drawings, historic books, manuscripts, and paintings that provide a timeline for British history. In addition to manuscripts of the Magna Carta from 1225 — the English charter, originally issued in the year 1215 — and the Winton Domesday Book (a 12th-century English administrative document which records the landholdings in the city of Winchester), exhibition highlights include detailed records of lost buildings and objects, an outstanding collection of panel paintings including royal portraits from Henry VI to Mary I, and works from the Arts and Crafts movement by fellow William Morris.
These works are displayed alongside loans from the celebrated collection of the Yale Center for British Art including rare books and paintings and drawings by Samuel Palmer, Edward Burne-Jones and Augustus Welby Pugin.
A number of campus events taking place during the fall — including concerts of music by English composers, a conference on Anglo-Saxon history, and a lecture on the Magna Carta by former Massachusetts Supreme Court Chief Justice Margaret Marshall — will serve as complements to the exhibition. Free group tours of the museum are available on Sundays from 2-2:45 p.m. starting Sept. 18.
For more information on the McMullen Museum, the “Making History” exhibition and the related campus events, including times and locations, see www.bc.edu/artmuseum.