Secrets of the Collection—Materials of the Medieval World

Are you curious about how things are made? Do you want to learn more about artworks in the Art Institute’s medieval galleries? Are you interested in conservation and science stories?  

Join staff from the Department of Conservation and Science, who will present exciting pop-up talks and demonstrations about a wide range of materials in the medieval galleries, including arms and armor, embroidery, sculpture, frames, ceramics, and paintings.  

ONGOING ACTIVITIES

Materials Table 
Drop in 5:30–7:30 
Griffin Court 
Look closely at the materials used to make medieval art with conservators and scientists.

Water-Gilding Demonstration 
5:30-6:15 or 6:30–7:15
Ryan Learning Center, Studio B     
Watch a demonstration of how paintings and frames were water gilded in the medieval world. The full demonstration will run twice during the evening: once from 5:30 to 6:15 and again from 6:30 to 7:15.

Response Station 
Drop in 5:30-7:30 
Gallery 235 
Respond to the evening’s events by participating in this interactive station.

15-MINUTE GALLERY TALKS
All talks meet in the galleries designated below, located in the Deering Galleries of Medieval and Renaissance Art, Arms, and Armor.

5:30-5:45 Select one of the following talks to attend.

• More Precious than Gold: an Embroidered Masterpiece Revealed 
  Gallery 237 
  Learn about a rare embroidered altarpiece: its origins, current state, and efforts to preserve this sumptuous object for the future. 
  
  
• True Colors? The Elusive Madonna 
  Gallery 238 
  Explore the mysteries surrounding the “true” appearance of a fifteenth-century Madonna and Child relief. 
  
• Metal Meets Metal: The Construction of Arms & Armor and Their Mounts 
  Gallery 239 
  Discover how the Arms & Armor collection is displayed in its dynamic presentation and learn about advancements in functional metallurgy.

6:00-6:15 Select one of the following talks to attend.

• From Log to Yolk: The Making of a Monumental Altarpiece 
  Gallery 236 
  Uncover the stories behind the construction of the Art Institute’s monumental Ayala Altarpiece. 
  
• Reimagining the Chapel: Restoration of a Terracotta Altarpiece 
  Gallery 237 
  Learn about the history of Italian architectural ceramics and the particular challenges in mounting and installing them in a museum context.

6:30-6:45 Select one of the following talks to attend.

• From Log to Yolk: The Making of a Monumental Altarpiece 
  Gallery 236 
  Uncover the stories behind the construction of the Art Institute’s monumental Ayala Altarpiece. 
  
• More Precious than Gold: an Embroidered Masterpiece Revealed 
  Gallery 237
  Learn about a rare embroidered altarpiece: its origins, current state, and efforts to preserve this sumptuous object for the future. 
  

7:00-7:15 Select one of the following talks to attend.

• Reimagining the Chapel: Restoration of a Terracotta Altarpiece 
  Gallery 237
  Learn about the history of Italian architectural ceramics and the particular challenges in mounting and installing them in a museum context.     
  
• True Colors? The Elusive Madonna 
  Gallery 238
  Explore the mysteries surrounding the “true” appearance of a fifteenth-century Madonna and Child relief. 
  
• Metal Meets Metal: The Construction of Arms & Armor and Their Mounts 
  Gallery 239
  Discover how the Arms & Armor collection is displayed in its dynamic presentation and learn about advancements in functional metallurgy.

Persons with disabilities who would like to request an accessibility accommodation for an Art Institute program are encouraged to send an email to access@artic.edu two weeks in advance of the program. 

Image: Conservator Julie Simek works closely on the details of the museum’s Ayala Altarpiece.