Christine Kondoleon Appointed George D. and Margo Behrakis Curator of Greek and Roman Art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Boston, Mass. (May 9, 2001) --The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA) is pleased to announce that Christine Kondoleon has been appointed the Museum's first-ever Greek and Roman Curator, named the George D. and Margo Behrakis Curator of Greek and Roman Art. A position in the Department of Art of the Ancient World, this important curatorial post was recently endowed by MFA Overseer George Behrakis and his wife Margo of North Tewksbury, Massachusetts.

I am truly delighted that George and Margo Behrakis have chosen to create this new position at the Museum," said Malcolm Rogers, Ann and Graham Gund Director of the MFA. "The Museum has astounding Greek and Roman collections, and I am very glad that Christine, who has had a long association with the MFA as a member of the Department's Visiting Committee, has agreed to join us."

Kondoleon will be joining the MFA this September. Prior to her MFA appointment, Kondoleon has been the Curator of Greek and Roman Art at The Worcester Art Museum since 1995, where she recently mounted the recent exhibition Antioch: The Lost Ancient City (2000). Other positions that Kondoleon has held include Chair of the Art Department (1994-1995) and

Read Ancient City of Antioch Rediscovered in Worcester, by Mary Papoutsy The Worcester Art Museum, by Christine Kondoleon

Associate Professor of Art at Williams College (1982-1995), and Visiting Associate Professor at both Harvard (1993) and Tufts (1997) universities. Kondoleon received her Masters Degree at Yale University (1975) and her Ph.D. at Harvard University (1985). She is the author of many books and articles, including the exhibition catalogue for Antioch, the publications Domestic and Divine: Roman Mosaics in the House of Dionysos (1995) and The Art of Late Rome and Byzantium in the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts with A. Gonosová (1994).

Margo and I are very pleased that we are able to endow this position in the Department of Art of the Ancient World and with Christine's appointment," said George Behrakis. "We are committed to the continued study and research of Greek and Roman art, and how today's world can still learn from these ancient cultures."

In her new role, Kondoleon will be responsible for planning gallery displays and exhibitions, recommending acquisitions and conducting research in this field. "I am thrilled to be joining the MFA and I am truly excited to work with this world renowned collection," said Christine Kondoleon, the George D. and Margo Behrakis Curator of Greek and Roman Art.

The MFA's Greek and Roman Collections

The MFA's Greek collection is extraordinarily rich in breadth and depth. Special strengths lie in Archaic bronze figures, Athenian vases of the 6th and 5th centuries B.C., coins of all periods, Hellenistic terracotta statuettes, Ptolemaic portraits, cameos and intaglio gems. Among the many individual masterpieces are an Archaic bronze statuette known as Mantiklos Apollo, an Athenian black-figure hydria with the dragging of Hector, the extraordinary Three-Sided Relief, a rare copy of Pheidias' Athena Parthenos, a Hellenistic gold earring in the form of a Nike in a two-horse chariot, and the splendid Bartlett Aphrodite.

Recent acquisitions of important Roman statuary and South Italian red-figure vases have strengthened what has long been considered one of the best assemblages of Roman art in the world. The MFA's Roman collection is particularly strong in imperial portraits, coins, gems, and cameos. Stellar examples include portraits of the Emperor Augustus and the Empress Sabina, wall paintings from the Villa of Contrada Bottaro at Pompeii, a silver skyphos with the scene of a sacrifice, and a sarcophagus showing the triumphal procession of Bacchus from India. In addition, the MFA's collection of art from the Roman provinces is particularly interesting and includes works in all media from Western Europe, North Africa, Greece, Asia Minor and Syria.

The Museum of Fine Arts

The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston is recognized for the quality and scope of its encyclopedic permanent collection, which includes an estimated 350,000 objects. The Museum's collection is made up of: Art of the Americas; Art of Europe; Contemporary Art; Art of Asia, Oceania and Africa; Art of the Ancient World; Prints, Drawings and Photographs; Textiles and Fashion Arts; and Musical Instruments.

The Museum offers daily introductory talks in various languages (English, Russian, Spanish and American Sign Language) and several ongoing school and family programs. These include: Artful Adventures; Family Place; Children's Room; School Vacation Week Adventures; art classes and workshops; Open Houses; and Concerts in the Courtyard. Please call 617.267.9300 or visit www.mfa.org for more information on these programs.

Open seven days a week, the MFA's hours are: Monday -- Tuesday 10:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., Wednesday -- Friday 10:00 a.m. to 9:45 p.m. (Thursday and Friday after 5:00 p.m. only the West Wing is open), Saturday -- Sunday 10:00 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. General admission is $12 for adults, $10 for senior citizens, and free for children 17 years of age and under when school is not in session. Thursday and Friday evenings after 5:00 p.m., admission is reduced by $2. Wednesdays after 4:00 p.m., admission is by voluntary contribution. For general visitor information, visit the MFA website at www.mfa.org or call 617.267.9300.