In An Exquisite Eye exhibition, Claude-Joseph Vernet captures the awe of the Rhine Falls with turbulent waters, darkening skies, and contemplative figures standing before nature’s overwhelming power. Image: Clark Art Institute
Discover An Exquisite Eye at the Clark Art Institute. Explore the landmark Aso O. Tavitian collection of European art, featuring masterworks, Jan van Eyck, and details on the upcoming 2028 wing.
BY KAZEEM ADELEKE, ARTCENTRON
When the Clark Art Institute‘s An Exquisite Eye: Introducing the Aso O. Tavitian Collection opened, visitors encountered much more than a standard museum display. This landmark exhibition marks the beginning of a major institutional transformation, offering the first public view of a historic gift that reshapes the museum’s European art holdings for generations to come.
Introducing the Clark Art Institute Aso O. Tavitian Collection
The Clark Art Institute Aso O. Tavitian Collection brings together approximately 150 masterworks selected from a broader gift of 331 paintings, sculptures, drawings, and decorative arts. Assembled by the late collector, philanthropist, and connoisseur Aso O. Tavitian, the exhibition highlights a collection built on artistic excellence, historical depth, and a deeply personal vision that bridges centuries, regions, and traditions.
An Exquisite Eye: Four Centuries of European Art (1450–1850)
Spanning roughly four centuries of European artistic production from 1450 to 1850, An Exquisite Eye takes visitors on a journey through some of the most influential periods in Western art history.
From the Renaissance to the French Enlightenment
The exhibition explores early Netherlandish painting, Italian Renaissance sculpture, Baroque portraiture, French Enlightenment art, and European landscape traditions, creating a dialogue between artists who shaped visual culture across generations.
Rather than presenting the collection as a simple sequence of masterpieces, the exhibition emphasizes connection. A central interpretive feature—a large-scale map tracing the origins of selected works—highlights how artists, materials, and artistic ideas moved across Europe. This approach encourages visitors to consider art not as isolated objects but as part of a broader network of exchange and influence.
Defining Collecting Philosophy
The exhibition’s title, An Exquisite Eye, reflects the defining quality of Tavitian’s collecting philosophy. The collection demonstrates a commitment to works of exceptional refinement, rarity, and artistic significance. Portraiture is a particular strength, but the collection also encompasses religious imagery, mythology, still life, and landscape painting, revealing the breadth of European artistic achievement.
Highlights from An Exquisite Eye, Clark Art Institute Aso O. Tavitian Collection
Jan van Eyck’s Madonna at the Fountain
Among the highlights is Jan van Eyck’s Madonna at the Fountain, a work that demonstrates the extraordinary attention to light, texture, and detail associated with the artist’s approach to naturalism. The painting reflects the technical innovations of early Netherlandish art and offers insight into the devotional function of intimate-scale religious works.
Ambrosius Bosschaert the Elder’s Little Bouquet in a Roemer
The exhibition also features Ambrosius Bosschaert the Elder’s Little Bouquet in a Roemer, an example of the highly refined floral still life tradition that flourished in the Netherlands during the seventeenth century. Combining close observation of nature with artistic invention, the work illustrates how seemingly small subjects became vehicles for technical brilliance and intellectual exploration.
Portraits by Anthony van Dyck and Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun
Portraiture provides another major theme throughout the exhibition. Anthony van Dyck’s Portrait of Margaret Lemon reveals the artist’s ability to combine elegance with psychological complexity, while Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun’s Self Portrait in Studio Costume highlights the celebrated painter’s ability to shape her own public identity as both artist and subject.
European Sculpture from Bernini, Andrea della Robbia, and Houdon
Sculpture represents one of the most significant areas of growth created by the Tavitian gift. Works by artists including Andrea della Robbia, Gian Lorenzo Bernini, and Jean-Antoine Houdon expand the Clark’s holdings. Together, they significantly strengthen the institution’s ability to explore the development of European sculpture. Houdon’s Little Lise, a refined marble portrait bust from 1775, demonstrates the sophistication and emotional sensitivity that established the artist as one of the most admired sculptors of the French Enlightenment.
Claude Joseph Vernet and the Tradition of European Landscape Painting
Landscape traditions are also central to the exhibition’s narrative. Claude-Joseph Vernet’s Rhine Falls, near Schaffhausen, Switzerland, captures the eighteenth-century fascination with dramatic natural environments, while other works explore the relationship between observation, imagination, and artistic interpretation.
How the Tavitian Gift Transforms the Clark Art Institute
The collection’s importance extends beyond the individual works on view. Through this gift, the Clark gains a deeper foundation for research, scholarship, and public engagement with early modern European art.
Expanding European Paintings, Sculpture, and Decorative Arts
The collection strengthens areas that had previously represented a smaller portion of the museum’s holdings and creates new opportunities for exhibitions, academic study, and interpretation.
New Opportunities for Research and Scholarship
The significance of the Clark Art Institute Aso O. Tavitian Collection is also reflected in the institution’s long-term plans.
The Future of the Clark Art Institute Aso O. Tavitian Collection
The New Aso O. Tavitian Wing Opening in 2028
In 2028, the Clark will open the new Aso O. Tavitian Wing, designed by Selldorf Architects, providing a permanent home for the collection alongside the museum’s existing galleries. The project represents a major investment in the future of European art scholarship and public access.
Endowment Support for Conservation and Curatorial Research
The Tavitian gift includes more than $45 million supporting the continued care, study, and presentation of the collection. There is also an endowed curatorial position dedicated to early modern European painting and sculpture. This commitment ensures that the collection will remain an active resource for researchers, students, and museum visitors.
Why the Clark Art Institute Aso O. Tavitian Collection Matters
Through An Exquisite Eye, the Clark introduces a remarkable group of artworks and begins a new chapter in the institution’s identity. The exhibition shows how a single collection can transform a museum’s possibilities and deepen the public’s understanding of art history. The collection reflects decades of careful attention, expertise, and dedication.
For visitors, the exhibition provides an opportunity to explore European art through the perspective of a collector who valued beauty, craftsmanship, and historical discovery. For the Clark, the exhibition marks a defining moment. It will shape the museum’s programs, research, and exhibitions for decades to come.
Inside An Exquisite Eye at the Clark Art Institute
What is the Clark Art Institute Aso O. Tavitian Collection?
The Clark Art Institute Aso O. Tavitian Collection is a landmark gift of 331 paintings, sculptures, drawings, and decorative arts. They were assembled by collector and philanthropist Aso O. Tavitian.
When is An Exquisite Eye: Introducing the Aso O. Tavitian Collection on view?
The exhibition continues through February 21, 2027, at the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Massachusetts.
What artists are included in the Tavitian Collection?
The collection includes works by artists such as Jan van Eyck, Andrea della Robbia, and Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Others are Peter Paul Rubens, Jean-Antoine Watteau, Jacques-Louis David, and Elisabeth Louise Vigée-Lebrun.
Why is the Tavitian Collection important?
The collection significantly expands the Clark’s holdings in early modern European art and more than doubles the museum’s sculpture collection.
Where is the Clark Art Institute located?
The Clark Art Institute is located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, in the Berkshires region of western Massachusetts.
What is the Aso O. Tavitian Wing?
The Aso O. Tavitian Wing is a new museum expansion planned for 2028 that will provide a dedicated space for presenting the collection.