Stories behind the surface
Journal
Essays begin with museum records and lead outward: toward a technique, a life, a close reading, or a question worth carrying into the treasury.
Museum record brief
From the collection: Arms of the Cistercian Order
Discover Arms of the Cistercian Order in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection, through its recorded maker, date and materials.
13 September 2026 · 2 min read
Museum record brief
From the collection: Panels
Discover Panels in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection, through its recorded maker, date and materials.
12 September 2026 · 2 min read
Museum record brief
From the collection: Panel of Venus, “Pudica Type”
Discover Panel of Venus, “Pudica Type” in the The Metropolitan Museum of Art collection, through its recorded maker, date and materials.
11 September 2026 · 2 min read
Museum record brief
From the collection: String of Beads
Discover String of Beads in the Art Institute of Chicago collection, through its recorded maker, date and materials.
10 September 2026 · 2 min read
Museum record brief
From the collection: Plaque: The Crucifixion and Virgin and Child with Angels
Discover Plaque: The Crucifixion and Virgin and Child with Angels in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection, through its recorded maker, date and materials.
9 September 2026 · 2 min read
Close looking
Reading a Book of Hours
The Hours of Jeanne d’Evreux is smaller than a hand. Looking at it closely means thinking about who held it, when, and what she saw in its margins.
8 September 2026 · 6 min read
Object story
What a reliquary asks of its viewer
The Chasse of Champagnat is a small enamelled box that once held the remains of a saint. Its images were made to be seen by people who already believed in what was inside.
8 September 2026 · 6 min read
Material study
Gold ground: light in a Sienese panel
Duccio’s small Madonna and Child is built from wood, gesso, gold leaf and egg. Each material governs how the picture handles light.
8 September 2026 · 6 min read