Current Exhibitions

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1571–1610) was one of the most influential figures in the history of European art; he revolutionized painting through his theatrical compositions and gritty realism observed from life. Martha and Mary Magdalene (c. 1598), on loan from the Detroit Institute of Arts, is a masterpiece from Caravaggio’s early career in Rome that demonstrates his use of sharp light and dark contrasts for a dramatic depiction of a religious scene. With fewer than 10 paintings by Caravaggio in the US, this is a rare opportunity to see an extraordinary work by one of the most celebrated Old Master painters.

Japanese artist Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858) was one of the great masters of the Japanese landscape woodblock print. In 1833, he produced a suite of prints that followed the imperial road called the Tōkaidō, which ran from Edo (modern Tokyo) to the emperor’s palace in Kyoto. The scenes are a blend of the grandeur of a noble feudal lord's (daimyō) lifestyle, realistic images of daily life and ordinary people like merchants or workers, and a refined depiction of nature.

Fiber arts by artist, designer, and weaver Sheila Hicks (b. 1934) will be exhibited in the DMA’s Atrium Overlook and in the Arts of the Americas Andean gallery in a special exhibition illuminating how the contemporary artist’s practice has been inspired by the weaving traditions of indigenous artisans from Latin America. Secret Structures, Looming Presence pairs works from the Museum’s collection of ancient Andean art with a selection of Hicks’ loom-woven, wrapped, twisted, and knotted fiberworks, offering a fresh examination of textile traditions through time.