Born in Annapolis, Maryland, and educated at the Maryland Institute College of Art, artist Louis Fratino got to know well the great strengths and depths of the BMA’s Matisse collection over many years of visits. He was influenced by the French artist, among others, and chose to focus his own work on domestic spaces and intimate portraits.

From the 1960s to the 2020s, Baltimore philanthropists Sigmund and Mary Hyman assembled a major collection of American art, with a particular focus on modernists of the Ashcan School. In partnership with BMA curators, the Hymans gifted a carefully selected group of important works to the Museum—a gift completed in 2024 following the passing of Mary Hyman, a longtime Trustee.

Between 1946 and 1953, Henri Matisse created 28 lithographic portraits for Poésies Antillaises (Antillean Poetry), a book of poems by John-Antoine Nau. Published posthumously in 1972, this rare volume remains one of Matisse’s least-known illustrated works.

When was the last time you unplugged?

Disconnect, slow down, and rediscover what it means to be present inside the BMA’s historic Spring House, where acclaimed American conceptual artist Rachel Lee Hovnanian presents the Nature Deficit Disorder immersion room this spring. The powerful installation challenges our digital dependence and rekindles our connection to the natural world.