“Coptic Art, Dikran Kelekian, and Milton Avery” Exhibition
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
This event has ended.
A 1943 portrait by the renowned modern American painter Milton Avery (1885–1965) of his friend Dikran Kelekian—a noted collector of modern paintings, Coptic, and Islamic art, and an influential dealer in Middle Eastern art of all periods—is the centerpiece of this installation. It is shown alongside twenty textiles and decorative objects created in Egypt between 300 and 800 A.D. Many are from the collection of works from Egypt that Kelekian began to acquire in the late 1800s. In addition to textile fragments, the installation includes a statuette, a necklace, and a comb.
The presentation presents one example of Kelekian’s success in encouraging contemporary artists to become interested in ancient art, especially Coptic art. Avery depicts the dealer before a background decorated with sketchily drawn Coptic textile patterns that are arranged as if roughly sewn together into a hanging. The motifs are similar to those on works in the exhibition.
Media
Schedule
from August 11, 2014 to September 07, 2015
Artist(s)
Milton Avery et al.