For a show like this, however far you have to travel won't be too far.—The New York Times
About the Exhibition
Gaze into the Middle Ages, a time when art mediated between heaven and earth and wondrous objects of gold, silver and precious gems filled churches and treasuries.
Relics, the physical remains of saints, were displayed in special containers, known as reliquaries. Reliquaries were revered, sought after and attracted pilgrims. Their ornate exteriors reminded the faithful of the extraordinary matter held within. This exhibition features over 130 sculptures, paintings and manuscripts, gathered from world- class collections, including the Louvre and the Vatican. This is the first exhibition in the United States to focus on the history of relics and reliquaries.
Treasures of Heaven: Saints, Relics, and Devotion in Medieval Europehas been organized by the Walters Art Museum, the Cleveland Museum of Art, and The British Museum. The project received important early support through planning grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Samuel H. Kress Foundation. Magnanimous gifts from Paul Ruddock and an anonymous benefactor made the catalogue possible. We acknowledge with gratitude the support of Marilyn and George Pedersen and the Sheridan Foundation, which together with additional implementation funds from the Kress Foundation, a Museums for America grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, and gifts from other generous individuals made the exhibition possible. This exhibition is supported by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities.