New Publications

The museum continues its long tradition of publishing scholarly books, as well as more general-interest titles, with the debut of a sublime collection catalogue, a grand look at the Fine Arts Garden, and an in-depth examination of one of our most enigmatic objects.

Published to coincide with the centennial exhibition Art and Stories from Mughal India is a luxurious companion volume that explores the museum’s collection of intense yet delicate Mughal paintings, illustrated in spectacular detail. This is the third volume in a series of catalogues dedicated to the museum’s light-sensitive treasures. All 95 works from the renowned Benkaim Collection are included, alongside full translations of their inscriptions and texts. Curator Sonya Rhie Quintanilla and five other distinguished authors cast new light on these stunning paintings through narrative-driven essays written to engage a wide audience.

Another newly arrived book looks outside the museum’s walls to the glorious gardens and landscape that surround it. Lavishly illustrated, Gardens features an essay by landscape historian Mary Hoerner that traces the origins of the Fine Arts Garden (a fascinating collaboration between the Garden Club of Cleveland and the renowned Olmsted Brothers firm) and a conversation between Leslie Cade, interim director of the library and archives, and Jeffrey Strean, director of design and architecture, about the development of the museum’s architecture and grounds as well as plans for the future. This lively and insightful look at the museum’s great outdoor spaces will surely enrich your visits.

Accompanying our fall focus exhibition of the same name, Myth and Mystique: Cleveland’s Gothic Table Fountain is the latest volume in our Cleveland Masterwork series. Essays by curator Stephen Fliegel and Case Western Reserve University professor Elina Gertsman—and 15 entries written by CWRU art history students and CMA staff—look at a signature object in the collection that numbers among the rarest of medieval works of art. The book makes a lasting and important contribution to our understanding of this compelling marvel.

Stop by the Museum Store to browse these and other recent titles, including two stunning (and hefty, at 498 and 520 pages, respectively) tomes that delve into areas of the museum’s collection: Silent Poetry: Chinese Paintings and Symbols of Power: Luxury Textiles from Islamic Lands. Books are a great way to keep the museum close at hand.  

Mughal Paintings: Art and Stories Published by the CMA in association with D Giles Limited, London. 368 pages, 401 full-color illustrations. $69 hardcover, $45 softcover
Funded in part by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Glenmede Investment and Wealth Manage-ment, Mr. and Mrs. Fareed Siddiq, and Mr. and Mrs. Ansir Junaid

Gardens: The Cleveland Museum of Art Published by the CMA in association with Scala Arts Publishers, New York. 108 pages, 84 color and 45 black-and-white illustrations. $29.95 hardcover
Funded in part by Anne H. Weil

Myth and Mystique: Cleveland’s Gothic Table Fountain Published by the CMA in association with D Giles Limited, London. 160 pages, 130 full-color illustrations. $29.95 softcover
Funded by the Womens Council of the Cleveland Museum of Art and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation

Cleveland Art, September/October 2016