From it's beginnings in 1876 with 5,600 works of art, the MFA now holds a comprehensive collection encompassing 500,000 works of art, spanning the history of artistic endeavor from ancient Egyptian to contemporary.
Major collections include Art of the Americas, Art of Europe from the Middle Ages through the mid-20th century, Asian Art since 4000 BC, African and Pacific Art, an encyclopedic collection of Antiquities, and Contemporary Art.
Exhibitions & Dates
Landscape, Abstracted
Aug 16 2014 - Jun 30 2019
Ten works, including sculptures, paintings, installation, and video art, provide a contemporary take on landscape
Collecting Stories: Native American Art
Apr 14 2018 - Mar 10 2019
Museum holdings of Native American art explore the formation of a modern American identity
Claes Oldenburg: Shelf Life
Aug 11 2018 - Dec 2 2018
15 mixed-media sculptures of carefully arranged iconic miniatures mirror Dutch still life arrangements
Winnie-the-Pooh: Exploring a Classic
Sep 22 2018 - Jan 6 2019
Immersive display of more than 200 works spans 90+ years of Pooh history
Candice Breitz: Love Story
Mar 31 2018 - Jan 21 2019
Video installation of forced migration stories enacted by celebrities showcases media's impact on adversity
French Pastels: Treasures from the Vault
Jun 30 2018 - Jan 6 2019
40 seldom-shown delicate pastels from the age of Impressionism
The Art of Influence: Propaganda Postcards from the Era of World Wars
Jul 28 2018 - Jan 21 2019
Pithy slogans, bold colors, and biting caricatures convey easily-understood messages
Graciela Iturbide’s Mexico - A way of life, a way of seeing
Jan 19 2019 - May 12 2019
Some 125 photographs span a five-decade-long career
Ansel Adams In Our Time
Dec 13 2018 - Feb 24 2019
Connects Adams to his 19th-century predecessors and to those who followed
Boston Made: Arts and Crafts Jewelry and Metalwork
Nov 17 2018 - Mar 29 2020
Some 100 works explore the Arts and Crafts movement in Boston in the early 20th century
Cecilia Vicuña: Disappeared Quipu
Oct 20 2018 - Jan 21 2019
Site-specific installation channels an ancient mode of communication
Toulouse-Lautrec and the Stars of Paris
Apr 7 2019 - Aug 4 2019
Explore depictions of the stars and entertainments of 19th-century Montmartre
Lorraine O’Grady: Family Gained
Aug 11 2018 - Dec 2 2018
Insightful photographs examine cross-cultural lineage, displacement, and hybridization
Gender Bending Fashion
Mar 21 2019 - Aug 25 2019
60+ boundary-pushing designs examine identity and its expression through dress
Exhibition Lab: Sargent and Fashion
Nov 10 2018 - Jun 23 2019
Participate in planning a landmark exhibition on Sargent and fashion
Jack Bush: Radiant Abstraction
Nov 17 2018 - Apr 21 2019
Three large-scale canvases from one of Canada’s leading contemporary artists