THE FOGG ART MUSEUM

32 Quincy St. (T: Harvard Square)

Mon-Sat: 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun: 1-5 p.m.

Admission: $5, $3 for students, FREE for students with valid Harvard ID.

Founded in 1891 by Elizabeth Fogg in memory of her husband, the Fogg is the oldest museum on campus. (The original museum was located on the current site of Canaday Hall.) Most notable is the museum's eloquent collection of Ingres paintings, its post-Impressionist holdings (including a gorgeous Gaugin and a Van Gogh self-portrait), and its well-rounded representation of seventeenth century Dutch and Flemish painting (including a Rembrandt.) Other exhibitions worth noting: "The Art of Identity: African Sculpture from the Teel Collection," (a stunning collection of masks from Western and Central Africa), "Sublimation: Art and Sensuality I the 19th century" (most importantly two Gustave Moreau canvases), "America: Art After 1950" (including a Frank Stella and Jackson Pollock), and "Timeless Beauty: Representing the Ideal in Neoclassical Drawing." Upcoming exhibitions include: Oct. 30-Jan. 23, 2000: "Lifeworld: Portrait and Landscape in Netherlandish Prints, 1550-1650," and Nov. 27-March 26: "The Shape of Content: The Stephen Lee Taller Ben Shahn Archive at Harvard." In addition to the collections on display, the Agnes Morgan Center, located on the first floor of the museum, has an astounding collection of prints, drawings, and photographs available for private viewing.

617.495.9400

THE BUSCH-REISINGER MUSEUM

32 Quincy St,. located in the Fogg Art Museum (T: Harvard Square)

Mon-Sat: 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun: 1-5 p.m.

Admission: $5, $3 for students, FREE for students with valid Harvard ID

Originally the Museum of Germanic Art, the Busch-Reisinger has accumulated over the past century an impressive holding of post-1880 German art with a particular emphasis on German Expressionism. The stark curation and sparing use of didactic wall texts are appropriately austere, boldly offsetting the colorful effusiveness of Gerhard Richter and the restrained hysteria of Max Beckmann. Also notable is a series of Bauhaus paintings (including works by Malevich and El Lissitsky), a pair of Jawlensky portraits, and an unusual Klimt. Currently on display is a collection of works by Hannah Darboven, touted by the curatorial staff as "one of the most important active German artists today." While Darboven's cutting-edge exploration of calendrical counting systems is mildly thought provoking, it is nonetheless another disappointing exa.m.ple of the diminishing importance of aesthetic value in contemporary art. Upstairs from the works on display is the pleasant and modern Busch-Reisinger study room, containing an extensive collection of prints and drawings (everything from Kandinsky to Klee) for private viewing.