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Highlighted Works

Charles Ethan Porter's Roses in a Green Vase

Roses in a Green Vase

Charles Ethan Porter’s Roses in a Green Vase is just one example of the many still life paintings in the CMA Collection across all four collecting areas. Porter is the first known professional Black still life painter. He was celebrated in his town of Hartford, Connecticut, for his skillful rendering of fruit and flowers, a talent he’d honed through years of training in New York and Paris. His sustained interest in and practice of still life may have been linked to its marketability and his desire to demonstrate that Black artists, working within the conventions of academic Western art, were just as capable as their white counterparts. In that case, Roses takes on new resonance beyond its simple beauty as a vehicle for racial agency in Porter’s time.

Charles Ethan Porter (American, 1847–1923)
Roses in a Green Vase, c. 1885–1890
Oil on canvas
Museum purchase, CMA 2015.3

Francois Boucher's Joseph Presenting His Father and Brothers to the Pharaoh

Joseph Presenting His Father and Brothers to the Pharaoh

This early-career painting demonstrates Francois Boucher's ambition to become a history painter, the highest honor in the French Academy — and one he would achieve in 1731. The subject is drawn from Genesis, the first book of both the Hebrew Bible and Christian Old Testament. The artist’s free, painterly brushstrokes and gentle coloring are reminiscent of Venetian painting; they also foreshadow the Rococo style for which he would become best known.

This piece is part of a significant gift of 80 works of art donated to the museum from the Samuel H. Kress Foundation. That transformative contribution laid the groundwork for the CMA’s evolution into an international art museum, establishing European art as one of its four main collecting areas. This particular work arrived in the second wave of gifts from the foundation in 1962, alongside other iconic pieces in the CMA Collection such as Guido Cagnacci’s David Holding Goliath’s Head and Jacopo Tintoretto’s A Gentleman of the Emo Family.

Francois Boucher (French, 1703–1770)
Joseph Presenting His Father and Brothers to the Pharaoh, c. 1723
Oil on canvas
Gift of the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, CMA 1962.23

Charles Warren Eaton (American 1857–1937) Untitled, 1922

Untitled

Landscapes are an enduring subject matter in art. For millennia, artists have looked to the world around them for inspiration, contributing their own perspectives and influences to this timeless genre. The CMA Collection reflects this rich tradition across all four of its collecting pillars — Asian, European, American, and Modern and Contemporary. From the meticulous elegance of Ming dynasty scrollwork, to the idealized vistas of the Hudson River School, to the shimmering impressions of Claude Monet, or even quiet and atmospheric scenes such as this example by Charles Warren Eaton, each landscape offers a unique interpretation of nature’s enduring beauty.

Eaton was deeply influenced by the Tonalist movement, which sought to convey the emotional resonance of natural scenes through color and composition. In this work, the soft hues and balanced structure of the scene offer a gentle reflection of nature’s quiet elegance. His use of soft light creates a powerful mood of tranquil reflection, where nature and the human spirit seem to harmonize.

Charles Warren Eaton (American 1857–1937)
Untitled, 1922
Oil on Canvas
CMA 2002.12

Tang dynasty (618–907) Neighing Caparisoned Horse

Neighing Caparisoned Horse

Horses were prized in China not only for their nobility and prowess in war, but also because they were believed to be imbued with supernatural qualities. During the Han through Tang dynasties, military expansionism to the far western regions was spurred by the quest for heavenly horses called “blood sweating” horses, which were associated with dragons. The harness on this horse is decorated with elaborate ornaments called xingye (apricot leaf).

The use and style of these ornaments originate in earlier royal Persian tombs and Sasanian metalwork luxury goods, while in China they were produced as bronze ornaments for the leather harnesses of horses ridden by the Tang royal court.

China
Tang dynasty (618–907)
Neighing Caparisoned Horse
Glazed ceramic
Gift of Robert Y. Turner in memory of M. W. Doty
CMA 2003.10.16

Antonio Salviati's Chandelier,

Chandelier

Elaborate glass chandeliers with multicolored flowers, leaves, and acorns were popular in Venice in the 18th century. They hung from Rococo ceilings whirling with paintings framed in curved plaster molding. This chandelier proudly revives that past tradition, and like chandeliers of the early 1700s, each piece was hand-blown and assembled into a single grand object.

A lawyer by profession, Salviati became fanatical about reviving the once-famous Venetian glass industry. Charles Eastlake’s renowned Hints on Household Taste (1868), an instructional book on interior design, popularized Salviati and Company’s glassware. As a result, Americans, too, began to seek out Salviati glass and could buy it at Tiffany & Co. in New York City in the 1870s, as well as other high-end specialty shops.

Antonio Salviati (circle of)
Italian, 1816–1890
Chandelier, c. 1880–1890
Hot-worked and handblown glass, wood inserts, iron supports
Gift of Mrs. Emmie Lou Nelson-Williamson
CMA 1995.14

Ladi Kwali (Nigerian, 1925–1984) Water Jar, 1972

Water Jar

This remarkable earthenware jar has a special connection to the CMA — it was crafted by famed Nigerian potter Ladi Kwali here in Columbia during her demonstration tour in spring 1972. Kwali was one of, if not the, most celebrated African potters of the 20th century. Her jar is a true standout at the museum as the only work by an African artist in the CMA Collection.

During her tours, Kwali worked her vessels by hand using the traditional Gwari coiling and pinching methods she learned as a child. An article in the Columbia Record (April 7, 1972) describes the few tools she used to make the jar, in just two hours in the courtyard in front of the museum: “a gourd, string, leather, a knife made from palm to draw the intricate designs.”

Ladi Kwali (Nigerian, 1925–1984)
Water Jar, 1972
Earthenware
Gift of Ron and Hester Meyers, CMA 2010.12

Tiziano Aspetti (Italian, c. 1559–1606) Pair of Batacchi (doorknockers) with Nude Females, c. 1595–1600

Pair of Batacchi (doorknockers) with Nude Females

Of the more than 7,000 works of art in the CMA Collection, nearly 3,000 are classified as decorative arts. Designed with an emphasis on both visual appeal and practical use, these objects are as functional as they are beautiful. The decorative arts collection at the CMA encompasses a wide range of objects, from furniture pieces like chairs and armoires to glassware and even the doorknockers featured here.

This pair of 16th-century bronze doorknockers was created by Tiziano Aspetti, who belonged to the second generation of sculptors working in the maniera or Mannerist style in Venice. Mannerist artists emphasized flair and finesse over realistic depiction, creating figures with exaggerated poses, elongated proportions, and complex compositions with a heightened sense of artificiality. Some of these characteristics are evident in these doorknockers, which depict the birth of Venus.

Tiziano Aspetti (Italian, c. 1559–1606)
Pair of Batacchi (doorknockers) with Nude Females, c. 1595–1600
Cast bronze with medium brown patination
Gift of the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, CMA 1963.47

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Staff Picks

Rachel Staff Pick

Staff Pick: Rachel Fludd

"Hello! I’m Rachel, the engagement assistant here at the Columbia Museum of Art. My role is to support the engagement team in organizing and implementing dynamic programs that bring art and people together. Whether I’m coordinating logistics, communicating with partners, or helping to ensure visitors have engaging experiences, I love seeing how art connects and inspires our community.

"My favorite pieces on view are the snuff bottles in the Asian art collection. Though tiny in size, these intricately designed objects served a big purpose. Historically, snuff bottles held tobacco, herbs, and other remedies — often used to alleviate ailments like headaches, colds, and stomach bugs. As someone who’s passionate about holistic practices, I can’t help but think that if snuff bottles were still popular today, they’d be the perfect quick fix for natural healing. Their delicate beauty combined with their functional history makes them a fascinating example of how art and everyday life intersect."

Staff member Drew Baron

Staff Pick: Drew Baron

Hey, y’all! I’m Drew Baron, the executive producer and content strategist at the Columbia Museum of Art. I help lead our communications department at the museum, so my job is often a little different every day, from producing and editing the museum’s Binder podcast, working with our curatorial and education teams to create digital educational content like our multimedia gallery tours, and even helping create social media posts like the one you are seeing right here. I’ve been at the museum for 10 years now, so I’ve had a lot of opportunity to get to know many of the works in the CMA Collection. It’s hard to pick a single "favorite" piece, but I’d love to tell you about a painting I often return to and admire.

Moonlight by Ralph Albert Blakelock is one of the smaller paintings located in Gallery 15. Nestled among epic and bright landscapes and seascapes, this subtle and contemplative painting may feel a little underwhelming by comparison, but it is the quiet and intimate nature of this work that keeps me coming back. I wasn’t aware of Blakelock before working at the CMA, but after seeing his painting here I’ve had the good fortune to see several more of his paintings at other museums throughout the country. His work is often easily recognizable due to his recurring use of silhouetted trees backlit by the glow of a full moon. In many ways, I feel like Blakelock is somewhat of a kindred spirit to myself. In the label for this painting, it says he ‘found himself emotionally obsessed with the visual poetry of darkness.’ I share this obsession. There is something about the transformation of the world around us at night, the abstraction of familiar places into shapes engulfed by gradients of shadow, that I find truly beautiful.

It's not only Blakelock’s aesthetic that draws me in — this painting also fills me with a deep sense of nostalgia. It reminds me of my teenage years growing up in the Lowcountry of South Carolina, staying out late at night sitting by a river or marsh surrounded by the sound of cicadas and the gentle tide lit only by the moon and our other celestial neighbors. I didn’t appreciate how good I had it back then, but I’m grateful that I can visit this piece at any time and be transported (if only metaphorically) back to a time when the only things that could take me away from the peaceful serenity of night were the rising sun or my impending curfew.

Staff Pick: Kaitlyn Martin

Hello! I’m Kaitlyn, one of the welcome desk associates in the visitor experience department. My job is to greet and welcome all visitors into the museum, answer phone calls and emails, maintain public spaces, and facilitate event check-ins. My favorite part of my job is interacting with museum visitors and seeing people get involved in Columbia’s art community. As someone who is from Columbia, I love giving recommendations about what the museum, Main Street, and the city as a whole has to offer.

Food, Clothing, Shelter by Laurie Simmons is my current favorite piece on view. This photogravure lives in Gallery 18 (Home, Work, Play), and it represents that theme perfectly. Simmons portrays a feminist perspective of domesticity through playful materials. She uses dolls, mannequins, and miniatures to stage scenes for her photos. These odd, anthropomorphic subjects prompt the viewer to consider their relationships with these facets of life. The shadows and selective color give off a haunting vibe that I love. The figures appear directionless within the liminal space of a true suburban housewife nightmare.

Staff Wilson Bame

Staff Pick: Wilson Bame

Hey, I’m Wilson, manager of engagement at the Columbia Museum of Art. I oversee public programming here at the museum, which means every day is a little different, but that variety is what I love! Whether it’s a talk or lecture, a concert such as our series More Than Rhythm, or big programs like Arts & Draughts and Family Fun Night, I always enjoy the opportunity to bring new experiences to the community, especially when I get to work with the community that makes them happen.

My favorite CMA Collection object is the camel sculpture created in China during the Tang Dynasty. The first time I saw it I really didn’t think much of it, but then I took the time to really look at the details. What really stands out now is the funny expression on the camel’s face. It just brings so much joy! And I happen to have the camel surrounding me in my office — my desktop background is a photo of him and his compatriot (Painted Horse and Rider), and I recently borrowed the 3D-printed version of him that we keep for touch tours (while we aren’t using it of course) — so hopefully his contagious energy finds its way into my work. The artist had clearly taken time to make this sculpture very true to life, with a lot of details given to the saddle and various matted tufts of fur on the creature, but with the huge grin this camel is displaying, I can’t help but think the artist was having a bit of fun. I’ll never know if the artist truly intended for this camel’s expression to be one of delight when they created it, but it sure brings a lot of it to me.

Art History 101 Lecture Series

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