The Menil collection was donated to the city by philanthropists John and Dominique de Menil. 17,000 objects of fine art are stored in the Houston Museum of Art. Admission is free, which opens up opportunities for everyone to get acquainted with paintings, sculptures and archaeological finds from different periods of time.
History of creation
Franco-American collectors and philanthropists donated their collection to Houston. The Art Museum was opened on July 4, 1987, on American Independence Day, which is widely celebrated throughout the country. The couple began living in Houston in 1941, and they began the collection by purchasing a Cezanne painting. Over time, Menil's collection expanded, and then the couple decided to create a museum. Dominique de Menil led the institution until the end of her life in 1997, and then the museum became the property of the city.
Short description
The museum complex includes 4 satellite galleries of the main building: the Cy Twombly Gallery, an installation by Dan Flavin, a Chapel with Byzantine frescoes, and the Menil Institute of Drawing.
The Menil Collection is located in an Art Nouveau building built by Italian architect Renzo Piano almost in the center of Houston. Among the exhibits are graphics, paintings, photographs, decorative art objects from different countries, archaeological finds from the 3rd millennium AD to the 20th century. The expositions are updated, so visitors to the institution return here, and each trip to the museum allows you to learn new information.
What can I see
Art historians have divided the Menil Collection into several departments to make it easier for visitors to navigate, and the excursions turned out to be more intense and exciting.
- The art of antiquity and antiquity consists of Greek and Roman artifacts, elongated ceramic vessels.
- In the Middle Ages and Byzantium section, you can see icons and frescoes made in the 14th-15th centuries.
- Modern and surrealist painting encompasses the works of Salvador Dali, Henri Matisse, Paul Klee, Andy Warhol and others.
- Sculptures and ritual objects of various tribes can be found in African art.
- The art of North and South America is decorated with jewelry, ceramics, and Indian masks.
How to get
The Menil collection is assembled on Sul Ross Street, which is almost in the center of Houston. Buses No25, 56 and 298 pass nearby. You can take a taxi or a rented car. Free parking is available during your visit to the museum.
John and Dominique de Menil left a will stating that admission to the museum should be free. This condition has been met, and everyone can come to inspect the Menil Collection from Wednesday to Sunday from 11.00 to 19.00, the institution has a day off on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Gallery
