1527292800
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
Hidden Layers: Painting and Process in Europe, 1500–1800
Saturday, May. 26, 2018 – Monday, Sep. 3, 2018
This exhibition celebrates the Museum’s new Sarah Campbell Blaffer Foundation Center for Conservation, opening later this year. Hidden Layers: Painting and Process in Europe, 1500–1800 highlights recent technical findings for European paintings in the Blaffer and MFAH collections.
The imaging techniques of x-radiography and infrared reflectography have uncovered preparatory layers and underlying changes in the paintings. Now, the materials throughout the entire depth of a painting, or just below the visible surface, can be seen.
Sometimes major, spectacular transformations are revealed, with entirely different compositions underneath. Other examples show the brilliance of an artist’s underdrawing, or subtle alterations of line as the design is refined and developed. In all of them, details of the artists’ working methods—as well as clues to original and changing artistic intention—are made clearer by discovering what lies in the hidden layers.
Hidden Layers also features important Old Master prints from the Blaffer Collection that show wonderful interpretations of the artist at work in the studio. Some of the images are allegorical, and some are straightforwardly descriptive, but all are superb works of art in their own right.
HOURS & ADMISSION
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Wednesday, 11:00 am - 5:00 pm
Thursday, 11:00 am - 9:00 pm
Friday - Saturday, 11:00 am - 6:00 pm
Sunday , 12:30 pm - 6:00 pm
- Monday (Except selected holidays) | Closed.
- Tuesday | Closed.
- Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day | Closed.
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Museum Admission
ALL ACCESS tickets provide entry to Special Exhibitions and the MFAH Permanent Collections. Purchase online or drop by any admissions desk.- MFAH Member FREE
- ALL ACCESS (Adult 19+) $24
- ALL ACCESS (Senior 65+ with ID) $20
- ALL ACCESS (Youth 13–18) $20
- ALL ACCESS (Child 12 & Under) FREE
- *Thursday MFAH Permanent Collections (All Ages) FREE
- *Thursday ALL ACCESS (13 & Up) $10
Directions & Parking
- Free Parking
- Paid Parking
- Street Parking
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Make visiting a snap! Visit mfah.org/parking for complete parking information.
Three Parking Garages
Parking Garage Hours
Open daily from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.Parking Garage Fees
- Parking payments may be made only with major credit cards, MasterCard and Visa debit cards, or cash.
- For hourly rates, go to mfah.org/parking
Special Offers / Dining
Paolo Fronza, from Fellini Caffè, runs this sophisticated dining operation. Enjoy an array of Italian-inspired fare with a Texas flair, a European-style coffee bar, a kids menu, and much more at the MFA Café, located on the lower level of the Beck Building.
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