Ball State University

01/30/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 01/30/2024 17:27

Ball State’s David Owsley Museum of Art Presents Haukohl Collection of Florentine Baroque Art

Topics: Arts and Culture, College of Fine Arts, Muncie

January 30, 2024

Giovanni Domenico Ferretti, Italian (1692-1768), Harlequin and His Lady, oil on canvas, Haukohl Collection. Photo credit: MNHA/Tom Lucas


The David Owsley Museum of Art (DOMA) at Ball State University presents a selection of paintings and sculptures from the Haukohl family collection-the largest collection of Florentine Baroque art of the late 16th to the early 18th centuries outside of Italy-from Feb. 22 through May 19, 2024.

Assembled over more than 35 years by Houston-based art collector and co-founder of the Medici Archive Project, Sir Mark Fehrs Haukohl, Beyond the Medici: The Haukohl Family Collectionillustrates how the Florentine artists of that era influenced European art history, politics, and philosophy to a far greater extent than has previously been perceived. The exhibition features paintings and sculptures depicting allegories, religious narratives, genre scenes, and portraits that display refined sentiments and skillful execution.

"This exhibition offers visitors a rare chance to view impressive works by artists previously only known to specialists, like paintings by Cesare Dandini, Felice Ficherelli, Onorio Marinari, and Ottavio Vannini," said Dr. Robert La France, DOMA's director. "Visitors will be impressed by styles that emphasize rich colors and figures that fix their gazes on the viewer, inspiring introspective and emotional responses."

Sir Mark Fehrs Haukohl said that he is extremely pleased to share his family's collection with Ball State and the people of East Central Indiana. "The goal has always been to help expand the understanding and appreciation of art history as well as the themes and images that craft our lives today," he added.

DOMA is located at 2021 W. Riverside Ave., in Ball State's Fine Arts Building. The museum is open to the public 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. on Tuesdays through Fridays, and 1:30-4:30 p.m. on Saturdays. There is no admission fee.

Visit DOMA's website for information on related programs and events-including a performance entitled "Music in the House of the Medici" by the Indianapolis Baroque Orchestra at 7:30 p.m. on March 28 in Sursa Hall. The exhibition and concert are part of Ball State's Arts Alive Series, presented by the University's College of Fine Arts.

For more information on the Haukohl Collections, view the following videos on YouTube: