A Case for Wine: From King Tut to Today September 10, 2009

Wine has played a role at the AIC almost since the museum's inception in 1879. A major European expedition to acquire classical antiquities for the fledgling collection in 1889 resulted in the purchase of several pots originally used for serving and storing wine. In 1890 the Art Institute made its first serious foray into the realm of Old Master paintings with the purchase of 12 Netherlandish works, including Jan Steen's Family Concert which shows guests drinking out of distinctive Dutch wine flutes while listening to music. In 1927 the Art Institute purchased half of the Jacques Muhsam Collection of European glass with funds provided by Julius and Augusta Rosenwald, providing the museum with superlative examples of wineglasses from the 15th to the 19th century. This cross-departmental exhibition presents nearly 300 wine-themed objects, including selected loans from other institutions and private collectors, tracing this beloved libation's surprisingly significant role as a stimulus and source of artistic endeavor from ancient times through the modern day.