Giving over three galleries to 18th century Europe was a good opportunity to showcase the strength of our collection in that area. The reinstallation is divided into four themes: The Grand Tour in the 18th Century, Court and Society in the 18th Century, Life, Style, and Collecting in the 18th Century, and Religious Art and the Church in the 18th Century.

The new reinstallation allows us to put 30% more of the modern art collection on view and really highlight the strength of the Museum's holdings. The galleries are arranged, for the first time, around particular themes and concepts.

The most significant change to the presentation of American paintings and sculpture is that we are able to devote a gallery to early American portraits. By bringing them together, we can appreciate the range of approaches employed as artists produced portraits that captured appearance and communicated a sense of identity.

For some years I have been thinking about programming one of our small Decorative Arts Galleries for changing, thematic installations from the collection, and have wanted to create an introductory gallery for visitors who may be unfamiliar with decorative arts and design. A new installation of chairs from the collection seemed a way to address those two goals.

For the first time in the history of the Museum, two galleries on the third floor are dedicated to presenting a wide range of Native American Art. The Danforth Gallery showcases the power and beauty of Art of the Great Plains from the turn of the Century, and Gallery 323 holds important works within our permanent collection and from prominent St. Louis collections, including a rare Diné (Navajo) First Phase Chief Blanket and a hide painting that depicts the Battle of Little Bighorn.

At its height in the second century AD, the Roman Empire spanned more than forty modern countries stretching from England to Egypt and from Spain to Syria. The objects on view in the new Roman Art and Architecture gallery come from sites throughout the Empire, which was as dynamic and culturally diverse as it was large. In their original context, many of these objects were not classified as "art." They were largely practical and used in a variety of contexts: daily life, religious ceremonies, and the built environment. The enduring influence of Roman civilization is reflected throughout the Museum – our very own Sculpture Hall is based on the main hall of the Baths of Caracalla in Rome – and beyond, from the use of one of the most common building materials, concrete, to our system of government.

–Matthew Robb

- Curated by Philip Hu, Associate Curator of Asian Art