Historic Images of the Greek Bronze Age: The Reproductions of E. Gilliéron & Son. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. May 17, 2011–November 13, 2011
This exhibition features a selection of early twentieth-century reproductions of now-famous artworks from Sir Arthur Evans’s historic excavations of Minoan Crete and Heinrich Schliemann’s Mycenaean Greece. Emile Gilliéron and, later, his son were the senior draftsmen responsible for reconstructing the fresco paintings in the palace at Knossos. The Gilliérons formed a thriving business selling original watercolors after the frescoes and other reproductions of three-dimensional artworks, which they made directly from the originals. Their work influenced the study of Aegean art and was integral to its widespread introduction throughout Europe and America. The installation draws from the Metropolitan Museum’s own collection of Gilliéron reproductions, which is the largest in existence. The exhibition is made possible by The Vlachos Family Fund.