Blood: Medieval/Modern

The Side Wound of Christ from Illustrated Vita Christi, with devotional supplements, about 1480–1490, England. Tempera colors and gold leaf on parchment. Getty Museum, Ms. 101 (2008.3.105v), fol. 105v.

Blood has both fascinated and repelled generations of artists and viewers. Medieval manuscripts testify to a rich visual culture surrounding blood: devotional, medical, genealogical, and as evidence of violence. In examining the meanings of medieval blood, Blood: Medieval/Modern extends to intersecting contemporary conversations—artists have used the potent visual connotations of blood to explore issues of feminism, HIV/AIDS, and the science of DNA. Medieval and modern approaches to the representation of blood offer instances of both connection and rupture across time.

A news story on the exhibition website provides further background.

This exhibition is presented in English and Spanish. Esta exhibición se presenta en inglés y en español.