Madonnas and Miracles at the Fitzwilliam Museum

16:18, Thursday 20 April 2017

A team of researchers from St Catharine’s College have helped to curate the latest exhibition at the Fitzwilliam Museum, Madonnas and Miracles, which exposes a hidden world of religious devotion in the Italian Renaissance home.

The exhibition, which opened on the 7th March and will run until the 4th June, was made possible thanks to a 2013 ERC Grant. St Catharine’s Fellow Dr Abigail Brundin, postdoctoral associate Dr Marco Faini and PhD candidate Katie Tycz were all key members of the team who put the exhibition together, and the five pieces of music that accompany the exhibition were recorded at St Catharine’s by the internationally acclaimed early music vocal ensemble, The Clerks, directed by the College’s Director of Music, Dr Edward Wickham. The exhibition is made up of jewellery, ceramics, manuscripts, printed books, sculptures and paintings, and our researchers’ highlights can be found here.

The exhibition has already received detailed coverage in the press, with Varsity awarding it a 4.5 star review, The Arts Desk calling it a “jewel of a show”, and BBC Radio 4’s Start the Week including it as part of their episode on Martin Luther’s Legacy. There are also a wide range of events to complement the exhibition, including a live music event directed by Dr Wickham, a free talk on Family Reading and Praying in the Italian Renaissance Home by Dr Brundin and a late night experience with added sights, smells, sounds and handling objects to touch at the museum. A full list of events can be found here.