What's on July 2020 - Welcome back! - Chester Beatty
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What’s on
July 2020
Welcome back!
A Note from the Director When we closed our doors on 13 March as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chester Beatty faced uncertainty in how it would continue to deliver its public services. However, thanks to some creative thinking and a great deal of flexibility from staff, we hit our stride and a new ‘normal’ emerged. To thank you all for your continued support and to brighten your lockdown experience, the team at the Chester Beatty worked tirelessly to bring the comforts of the Collections into your homes with online talks and workshops, In-Focus Tours, and 3D Virtual Tours of our galleries. While we will continue to generate digital content into the future, I am delighted to say that the museum is open once more to visitors. This means that you will once again be able to visit the Chester Beatty’s world-class Collections. And don’t forget our special exhibition of nineteenth-century photography: Siam through the lens of John Thomson, 1865–66, now extended until 3 January 2021. The Silk Road Café and the Gift Shop are also open as usual, so you can enjoy a coffee or lunch, and pick up a souvenir of your visit if you wish. The work of our Visitor Services Team has ensured that the building is safe to visit and complies with current public health advice. We have implemented physical distancing measures, hand sanitising stations, and floor markings to ensure your visit is safe and, above all, enjoyable. For further details please check our website here, or follow us on social media. We look forward to seeing you in the Chester Beatty very soon. Thank you! Fionnuala Croke Director
Current Exhibition
Siam through the lens of
John Thomson, 1865–66
Until 3 January 2021
The range, depth, and quality of John Thomson’s
photographic vision mark him as one of history’s
most important travel photographers.
Born in Edinburgh in 1837, Thomson travelled
to Asia in 1862. Over the next ten years he
undertook numerous journeys across the region,
spending almost a year in the kingdom of Siam
(modern Thailand) where he was granted unique
access to the court of King Mongkut (r. 1851–
68). The photographs Thomson took in Siam
include portraits and palace scenes, religious
ceremonies, architecture, and cityscapes.
Thomson also received permission to visit Angkor
Wat (then under Siam’s control), becoming
the first to photograph its famous ruins.
On his return to Britain in 1872, Thomson
brought with him more than 600 glass plate
negatives: a unique archive of images now
preserved at the Wellcome Library, London.
Featuring twenty-four compelling images, Siam
through the lens of John Thomson, 1865–66
introduces the sights and people of mid-
nineteenth-century Thailand as witnessed
by his camera.
The Chester Beatty thanks the exhibition lenders
and organisers for supporting its extension
until 3 January.
Top
Portrait of a princess, Wat Chumphon Nikayaram
possibly a daughter of Wellcome Collection
Prince Nilarat Public Domain
Wellcome Collection
Public Domain
3
Coming Soon
Edo in Colour: Prints from Dry goods store Ebisuya
Japan’s Metropolis Utagawa Toyokuni, Japan
1793–97
5 February – 29 August 2021 CBL J 2571
(closed 17 – 21 May for changeover of exhibits)
Japan’s woodblock prints were an affordable art, The exhibition will close for a full changeover
printed by the thousand and consumed as fast of works from 17 to 21 May.
as fashion demanded. They are also aesthetically
Presented with the support of the Japan
rich and technically accomplished. As the
Foundation; exhibition symposium supported
illustrious artists and shrewd publishers of Edo
by Toshiba International Foundation.
battled for market share, they constructed this
bustling metropolis anew on paper. From buskers
and teahouse beauties to actors, entertainers,
prostitutes and star-crossed lovers, this
exhibition explores the breathtaking world
of the city now known as Tokyo.
To accompany the exhibition, the Chester Beatty
looks forward to hosting a special symposium
on the legacy of Japanese print specialist, Jack
Hillier, who guided Beatty in his collecting.
4
Explore the Chester Beatty Online
Online Talks and Webinars Looking at Siam: Situating John
Join us for a selection of talks and webinars, Thomson’s Work Then and Now
highlighting aspects of the Chester Beatty Jon Riordan, Digital Photographer, Chester Beatty
collections as well as activities and research An interesting examination of the development
taking place around the museum. of photography in the age of John Thomson.
The Ones that Got Away! Chester Watch
and Edith Beatty’s Collection of
Impressionist and Post-Impressionist
Paintings Insights Hidden in Plain Sight
Fionnuala Croke, Director, Chester Beatty Dr Garrick Allen, Dublin City University
An insightful study of the now-dispersed, In this short video, Dr Garrick Allen explores
impressive collection of paintings assembled fascinating elements within a twelfth-century
by Edith and Chester Beatty. Greek Gospel manuscript (CBL W 139).
Watch Watch
In-Focus Tours
John Thomson the Intrepid
Discover some of the remarkable treasures in the
Traveller: Siam and Beyond
Chester Beatty Collections with an In-Focus Tour.
Thu 9 July, 1.10pm
Recorded by our museum curators, conservators,
Betty Yao MBE, Siam through the lens of
and tour guides, these online tours provide in-
John Thomson Exhibition Co-Curator
depth insight into some of the fascinating objects
Tune in for this live, lunchtime talk following found in the museum’s collections. Features to
the trail of young John Thomson, from his be added this month include:
early years in Edinburgh to his first major
journey to photograph the fascinating Star-Crossed Lovers Reunited:
kingdom of nineteenth-century Siam Celebrating Tanabata Festival
(Thailand)—only a few decades after the Dr Mary Redfern, Curator of East Asian
invention of photography. Exhibition Co- Collections
Curator Betty Yao will look at the people and
places Thomson photographed and describe Spinning Success: The Kangxi
the twists and turns behind the survival of Emperor’s Silk-making Album
this valuable collection through 150 years. Laura Muldowney, Researcher, East Asian
Collections
Register
Sefer Torah
Top Middle right Diana Delia, Guide
Yachting costume Double frontispiece from
(Costume de Yacht: veste a copy of the Qur’an First Impressions: The Importance
de drap, jupe de toile, Artist unknown
chapeau de cuir). Barbier, c.1430, Herat
of Binding
George (1882–1932) CBL Is 1500, fols. 1v-2r Mary O’Riordan, Guide
Journal des Dames et des
Modes. 1914, Paris
Focus
CBL Wep 0940
5
Activities at Home
Live Fan-making Workshop for Teens
Fri, 17 July, 1pm
Keep cool and look cool this summer! Spark
your creativity with this online workshop
and make your own paper fan inspired
by the Chester Beatty Collections.
Using craft and arts materials,
you will design a fan that will
keep you cool in the day and
look cool at night. This workshop
is in collaboration with the
Festival of Curiosity.
Get Creative Construct
Tanabata Festival Family Workshop
Tue 7 July
During the Tanabata Festival, also known as the Drawing with the Chester Beatty
Star Festival, people all over Japan write wishes Sun 26 July
on small paper strips and hang them on bamboo Following last month’s video on how to create
branches or other ‘wish’ trees. Watch this video a homemade blending stump, join Roxana
prepared by artist Jen O’Brien and follow the Manouchehri and discover the use of the tool
steps to create your own Tanabata streamer. for drawing with conté, a medium composed of
What wish will you make? powdered charcoal or graphite mixed with wax.
This video demonstrates the use of drawing
Create sticks, the effects of shading and textual grading
with a blending stump.
Live Finger Puppets Workshop for Draw
Families
Thu, 16 July, 1pm
Join Roxana Manouchehri in this live workshop Check out other drawing activities we have for
on making finger puppets with paper, glue, and you, along with our online workshops & how-to
markers. Think about the play or movie characters videos.
you wish to bring to life with your own fingers.
What accessories will they need? You can look Learn
at our wonderful collection online to get
your creative juices flowing. In
collaboration with the Festival And keep the whole family busy with activity
of Curiosity. packs for all ages:
Design Kids and families
Young people and adults
6
Tour the Galleries
Sacred Traditions
View sacred texts and religious art from the
East Asian, Islamic, and Western regions.
3D Virtual Tours
While we are delighted to welcome you back to
the Chester Beatty, you can also visit our galleries
online for a 3D virtual exhibition experience.
Arts of the Book
Explore the richness of East Asian, Islamic, and
Western manuscript and printing traditions.
Siam through the lens of John Thomson,
1865–66
Featuring dramatic images developed from
negatives preserved in London’s Wellcome
Library, this temporary exhibition introduces the
sights and people of nineteenth-century Thailand.
Above Top Above
Buddhist monk holding a fan The women at the open Coffee house scene
Wellcome Collection tomb from a Gospel book (detail)
Public Domain c. 1536, possibly Syunik’ Artist unknown
province (Armenia) c. 1620, Istanbul
CBL Arm 568 f. 05 CBL T 439.9
7
Past Exhibitions
Missed out on a previous exhibition
or want to revisit one? We have three
on view:
Thai Buddhist Tales: Stories along
the Path to Enlightenment
The Chester Beatty preserves an internationally
important yet little known collection of Buddhist
manuscripts from Thailand. Unfolding a
selection of these books, this exhibition provides
a rare opportunity to explore the Buddhist tales
depicted within. The Mystery of Mani
Rediscover the Manichaean religion through
the words of its followers.
Gift of a Lifetime: Treasures from
Chester Beatty’s Collection
From objects of the greatest beauty crafted for
powerful rulers to treasures tracing the history of
world religions, this exhibition featured artworks
capturing the breadth and wonder of Sir Alfred
Chester Beatty’s exceptional legacy.
Above Right
Extracts from the Pali Ibn al-Bawwab Qur’an
canon (Tipitaka) and Ibn al-Bawwab
Qualities of the Buddha 1000–1001
(Mahabuddhaguna) Baghdad, Iraq
18th century, Thailand CBL Is 1431
CBL Thi 1341
8
Explore the Chester Beatty Online
Or you can access our continually expanding
Digital Collections, a searchable database of
digitised artworks and manuscripts.
Search
Visit our website for a wealth of art, activities,
learning resources, and other fun things to do
Want to know more about Chester Beatty
for all ages.
and what we do? Watch a film about the life of
our founder or have a look at a timeline in the
Explore
Chester Beatty Story.
With less than 2% of our Collections on display
in the galleries, we are adding to our archive of
digitised images so you can view more online.
Learn more about the fascinating behind-the-
Browse
scenes work, projects, and activities from our
Conservation, Digital, and Education teams.
Blogs
Top Middle right
Yachting costume Chester Beatty walking
(Costume de Yacht: veste down a Mont Dore street
de drap, jupe de toile, c.1934, France
chapeau de cuir). Barbier, CB Archive, CBG/1
George (1882–1932)
Journal des Dames et des
Modes. 1914, Paris
CBL Wep 0940
9
Explore the Chester Beatty Online
Stay Connected
Chester Beatty and Google Arts
& Culture
Fancy some world travel? The Google Arts &
Culture portal includes exciting virtual tours of
museums, libraries, and other cultural institutions
around the world, including our very own world-
class Collection.
Visit
Virtual Meeting Backgrounds
Looking for a background for your video
meetings? Download our free packs of virtual
meeting backgrounds with images from the
Chester Beatty Collections.
Download
Supporting the Chester Beatty
Although the Chester Beatty does not charge for
entry to the museum or to any of its exhibitions,
we must increasingly rely on the generosity of
our 370,000 annual visitors for essential funds
Download the Chester Beatty
to develop our activities. Your support enables
Museum Guide App
us to deliver innovative programmes and events,
Did you know we now have a new mobile app?
present world-class exhibitions, conduct new
The Chester Beatty Museum Guide is available for
research, and conserve the collections for
Apple and Android phones. Listen to our gallery
future generations to enjoy.
audio tours in several languages (English, Irish,
French, German, Italian, and Spanish), tour the
Support the Chester Beatty
virtual museum in 3D, and explore our Digital
Collections Online with this exciting new resource
portal. Social Media
Don’t forget to follow us on social media for all
Android Apple the latest news and Collection highlights from
our curators. Connect with fellow museum-lovers
around the world, and be the first to learn about
upcoming online talks, how-to videos, and other
engaging content we will be posting in the days
and weeks to come. Please stay connected
with us on:
10Become a Friend of
the Chester Beatty
Discover manuscripts, miniature
paintings, prints, drawings, rare books,
and decorative arts in this amazing
Collection. The Chester Beatty
captures much of the richness of
human creative expression from about
2700 BC to the present day. Those
who share a love of this splendid
Collection and an appreciation of
world cultures can follow in Chester
Beatty’s footsteps by joining our
Friends Membership Programme.
Exclusive Range of Benefits
• Exclusive Friends Events: enjoy special
evenings, lectures and trips abroad
• Special Friends discount in the
Silk Road Café and Shop
• Friends Newsletter
• Invitation to the Annual Lecture
Membership starts from €65.
Learn more about our Friends programme;
please visit our website at:
https://chesterbeatty.ie/support/friends-membership/
Email us at friends@cbl.ie or
call 01 407 0759
Snuff bottle with integrated timepiece, enamel and pearls on gold
Switzerland, 1810-1830, CBL C 472Visitor Information
Chester Beatty Opening times
Dublin Castle Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri,
Dublin 2 Sat 9.45am–5.30pm
D02 AD92 Wed 9.45am–8pm
Ireland Sun 12 noon–5.30pm
Tel: 01 4070750 Closed Mondays
Fax: 01 4070760 Nov–Feb, Good Friday,
Email: info@cbl.ie 24, 25, 26 Dec & 1 Jan
www.chesterbeatty.ie Admission Free
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Silk Road Café
Gift & Book Shop
Audio-visual presentations
Roof Garden
Wheelchair access
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