The Walters Art Museum Announces Diverse Array of Acquisitions

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Works include two Rembrandt etchings, a Baltimore-made vase, and several additions to its Asian art collection

Baltimore, MD (December 12, 2024)—The Walters Art Museum announced today that it has made several acquisitions that build upon its extensive permanent collection with purpose and depth. The historic works range from 1635 to the 1920s and come from diverse geographic origins: Baltimore, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, and India. The acquisitions include a Severn Ware vase, a Showa-era folding screen, an Edo-period Ko-Kutani porcelain bowl, two books by “widow printers,” two Rembrandt etchings, and two betel nut cutters. Each acquisition reaffirms the Walters’ commitment to providing its visitors with free access to global art and culture, reflecting its role as a cultural community anchor in Baltimore.

“Art is an essential vehicle for developing one’s worldview and, knowing this, the museum’s curators, educators, and docents utilize our far-reaching collection as a powerful tool for education, storytelling, and connection every day,” said Gina Borromeo, Interim Co-Director. “We become more empathetic members of our communities when we deepen our understanding of and engagement with cultures that are unfamiliar to us. These acquisitions, each made with intention, present new perspectives that ultimately strengthen our connections to our neighbors.”

Works on Paper

As one of the great European Masters, Rembrandt van Rijn is renowned for etchings that are nearly as important within the history of printmaking as his paintings are in the history of that medium. Old Man with a Beard (mid 1630s) shows an older man with a beard seated and sleeping, wearing a mantle (similar to a cape or cloak), a fur hat, and a fringed scarf. The depiction of an older person dozing was common in Rembrandt’s early etchings and, given his fascination with human nature, it’s possible the artist was looking for wisdom in his subjects’ weathered faces. In Self Portrait of Rembrandt with Saskia (1636), Rembrandt has depicted himself in a slouched hat with a jaunty feather sitting at a table and looking out at the viewer while his wife, Saskia, sits slightly further back. These etchings join the Walters’ two other works on paper by Rembrandt, including one likely self portrait from 1634, as well as The Lute Player (1629) by Jan Lievens (Dutch, 1607–1674), a painting for which Rembrandt likely modeled.

Fatme (1855), a pencil on paper drawing by Jean-Léon Gérôme (French, 1824-1904), adds to the Walters’ robust collection of paintings and drawings by the artist. Never before exhibited in a museum, Fatme depicts an Egyptian woman in profile and is currently on view in Art and Process: Drawings, Paintings, and Sculptures from the 19th-Century Collection. It’s known that the artist professed racist views that were reflected in his paintings, and Fatme poses thought-provoking questions about the power dynamics at play when the work was made: How did Fatme feel about being drawn by Gérôme? Was she paid for her time? Was she told what to wear or how to pose? How was she selected by Gérôme, or did she volunteer? In short, what control did she have over this encounter?

Oracion panegyrica… (1683) and Distribución de las Obras Ordinaria, y extraordinarias del dia, Para hazerlas perfectamente, conforme al Estado de las Señoras Religiosas, Instruida con Doze Maximas (1712) were printed by “widow printers,” a term used for women who took on their husbands’ printing presses after they died. These Spanish colonial books were printed by the remarkable Calderón-Benavides family, which saw many women helm their presses over nearly 200 years. The work from 1683 was printed by Paula de Benavides, who resumed operations at her late husband’s printing press when he died in 1640, going on to print a staggering 448 books in her lifetime. The work from 1712 was printed by Gertrudis de Escobar, who took over from her husband when he died in 1707 and ultimately printed 78 works of her own. Lynley Herbert, Robert and Nancy Hall Curator of Rare Books and Manuscripts, plans to continue to acquire publications from every major printer across seven generations of the family. At present, the Walters holds works by five of the family’s 14 printers.

Additions to the Asian Art Collection 

Dish with Design of Rock, Bamboo, and Pine (1655‒1670), by an unknown Japanese artist from the Edo period, is the first-ever example of Ko-Kutani ceramics in the Walters collection and one of only a handful of 17th-century Ko-Kutani ceramics found in museum collections in the United States. The dish’s design depicts rock, bamboo, and pine motifs, each of which holds significance in Japanese culture. This work will be exhibited side-by-side with the Walters’ Saikō-Kutani dish in Across Asia: Arts of Asia and the Islamic World in 2025 to illustrate the history of ceramic development in Japan.

Hydrangea and Turkeys (1920s) by Okajima Tesshū (1890–unknown) is a two-panel screen from the early years of Japan’s Showa era with decoration that depicts turkeys and hydrangea blossoms. The combination of the fowl, which are not native to Japan, and the flowers, which have been in the country as early as the 8th century, would have been appealing to modernized Japanese tastes that still held appreciation for the traditional screen format. This object provides visitors a more holistic picture of Japanese art and makes an important juxtaposition with the museum’s existing collection of work from the country, as it was made with a Japanese audience in mind, instead of catering to what Americans considered intriguing at international world fairs and expositions.

Nut Cutter with Praying Lady (19th century) and Nut Cutter with Praying Hands (19th century) are everyday objects prevalent in “betel culture” that were created by unknown South Indian artists. The nut cutters are made of copper alloy and metal and measure 6 and 8 3/8 inches wide when closed, respectively. These tools would have been used alongside various bowls, cups, and small boxes to prepare areca nuts to create a “quid,” a mixture of thin slices of the nut, spices, and lime paste that is wrapped in a betel tree leaf and then smoked. These cutters are now on view alongside several other examples of the tool in Across Asia.

A Baltimore-made Vase

Severn Ware Vase by D. F. Haynes and Co. (ca. 1885-86) is an 11-inch tall vase possibly designed by James Callowhill (English-American, 1838–1917). This rare example of Severn Ware, which is named for Maryland’s Severn River, was produced by Baltimore-based manufacturer D. F. Haynes and Co. (1882–ca. 1914) and gets its hue from a mixture of clays sourced in the state. The company produced several colors of stoneware, each marketed under a name that emphasized their Maryland origins, including Arundel, Avalon, Calvertine, and Severn Ware. The raised decoration with a Japanese-inspired motif is representative of Aesthetic Movement pieces popular among American consumers in the 1880s and was likely done by female workers who trained at the Maryland Institute School of Design (known today as the Maryland Institute College of Art, or MICA).

About the Walters Art Museum

The Walters Art Museum is a cultural hub in the heart of Baltimore, located in the city’s Mount Vernon neighborhood. The museum’s collection spans more than seven millennia, from 5,000 BCE to the 21st century, and encompasses 36,000 objects from around the world. Walking through the museum’s historic buildings, visitors encounter a stunning panorama of thousands of years of art, from romantic 19th-century images of French gardens to mesmerizing Ethiopian icons, richly illuminated Qur’ans and Gospel books, ancient Roman sarcophagi, and serene images of the Buddha. Since its founding, the Walters mission has been to bring art and people together to create a place where people of every background can be touched by art. As part of this commitment, admission to the museum and special exhibitions is always free.

Visitor Information

Admission to the museum is free. The Walters Art Museum is located at 600 N. Charles St., north of Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. For general museum information, call 410-547-9000 or visit thewalters.org.

Free admission to the Walters Art Museum is made possible through the combined generosity of individual members and donors, foundations, corporations, and grants from the City of Baltimore, Maryland State Arts Council, Citizens of Baltimore County, Howard County Government, and Howard County Arts Council.