In the 1930s, the city of Antioch—an important capital of the Eastern Roman Empire—was excavated by a consortium of institutions, which subsequently received mosaics for their collections throughout the world. Wellesley’s Antioch mosaic, dated to the 5th century C.E., was installed on campus in 1936 and has since been central to the Wellesley art collection. In 2016, the Davis reinstalled its permanent collections, a project that required the migration of the Antioch mosaic from the museum’s fifth to its second floor, bringing with it a number of structural and conservation challenges. Join us for an afternoon of presentations, given by Christine Kondoleon, George D. and Margo Behrakis Senior Curator of Greek and Roman Art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Paula Artal-Isbrand, objects conservator at the Worcester Art Museum; and Jean Louis Lachevre, independent conservator, for a program about the history of the Antioch mosaics, their excavation, conservation, and display, and the impact they have had on collections throughout New England.

Reception to follow.