[Back to Museums]

Adoration of the Shepherds by Bernardo Strozzi (1616-18)

As each museum has offered me a sample of their essence, I have been affected in many different ways. The Walters Art Gallery exudes warmth, beauty and joy. I was taken aback by the clearness of its collections and the care that has been taken to create an environment that brings each piece alive. The gallery itself is a work of art, having been modeled after Italian Renaissance and baroque palace designs. The central court is a replica of the cortile of Genoa's Palazzo Balbi, designed in the 1630's by Bartolomeo Bianco. The rooms are welcoming and striking.

The Red Gallery, highlighting late Gothic and early Italian Renaissance works, pulls the red and gold, so popular in that time, out of each painting as they are nestled in red cotton damask. Amongst the masterpieces you will find Filippo Lippi's Madonna and Child.

Next we pass into The Green Gallery, cradling extraordinary pieces by such High Renaissance artists as Bellini and Veronese, not to mention the very rare women painters of that time, Sofonisba Anguissola and Lavinia Fontana.

Beyond this we step into the Gold Gallery, where the dark richness of the baroque era is displayed. Tiepolo, Longhi, and Guardi can be rediscovered in their original lighting, a soft, glowing simulation of candlelight.

The Walters Art Gallery has other wonderful exhibits such as a large collection of Roman sarcophagi and a collection of extraordinary illuminated Italian manuscripts and rare books. There are also tours for children of varying ages, special events, concerts, movies and classes.

A Mourning Woman by Ercole De' Roberti. Also called Ercole da Ferrara, De' Roberti was one of the three great Renaissance painters of Ferrara, together with Cosmè Tura and Francesco del Cossa. This 15th-century painting is thought to be a sample, painted by Ercole De' Roberti to show his patrons what the finished frescos would look like. It is closely related to De' Roberti's Death of the Virgin, originally created for the Garganelli Chapel in the Cathedral of St. Peter in Bologna. De' Roberti died in 1496.