The Scholar's Studio: Selections From the Edward A and Inge Maser Collection August 15, 2009

Edward A. Maser, the first director of the Smart Museum and a scholar of the baroque, shaped the early years of the Museum, guiding the development of its artistic and academic character through judicious acquisitions of medieval, Old Master, and nineteenth-century paintings, drawings, and sculptures. Together with his wife, Inge, Professor Maser also formed a distinguished personal collection on modest means that was informed by both enthusiasm and a scholar's eye. In 2008, the Smart Museum received a bequest of twenty-seven paintings, sculptures, drawings, and prints. 'The Scholar's Studio' features not only select pieces from the bequest but also other works in the Museum's collection the couple donated during their lifetimes. The exhibition examines the scholarly facet of collecting, offering an intimate view of Ed and Inge Maser's enduring relationship with the Smart Museum.