Past Special Exhibitions
Still Life & Landscape
This exhibition of paintings and furniture juxtaposes two distinct and yet related artistic genres.
Lasting Impressions: Body Art in the Ancient Americas
An exhibition of objects from the Pre-Columbian Collection that illustrate facets of body modification in the ancient Americas.
Flights of Fancy: Birds in Pre-Columbian Art
Birds abound in the arts of the ancient Americas. Soaring falcons, fish-eating sea birds, hovering hummingbirds, and brilliantly colored parrots captured the imagination of peoples from Mesoamerica to the Andes.
Radiance: Light in Byzantium
Radiance focuses on the cultural meaning of light throughout the Byzantine Empire. Drawing on objects from the permanent collection, it examines different aspects and realms of light—divine, artificial, and natural light—and how each informed both visual artistic interpretation and the pragmatic considerations of church and domestic lighting.
Coinage of the Byzantine Empire
In conjunction with a colloquium held in March 1999 to mark the publication of the final two volumes of the "Catalogue of the Byzantine Coins in the Dumbarton Oaks Collection and the Whittemore Collection," a special exhibition, Coinage of the Byzantine Empire, was organized at Dumbarton Oaks by Cécile Morrisson, advisor for Byzantine numismatics, and Susan Boyd, curator of the Byzantine collection.
Ceremonies of Death in Byzantium
This exhibition focused on images of death–including those of Christ, the Virgin, holy men, clergy, and laymen–which were increasingly developed during the middle and late Byzantine periods.
Indigenous Art of the Americas
The Robert Woods Bliss Collection of Pre-Columbian Art was first exhibited at the National Gallery of Art. The initial 1947 exhibition was so popular with the public that it was extended in 1948 and 1950, and remained on view for 15 years.
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