NEW YORK, NY.- The Morgan Library & Museum presents A Celebration: Acquisitions in Honor of the Morgan’s Centennial, an exhibition marking the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Pierpont Morgan Library as a public institution. On view from May 9 through August 17, 2025, the exhibition highlights a selection of extraordinary acquisitions made in honor of the Morgan’s centennial, showcasing the institution’s continued commitment to enriching its world-renowned collection. Ranging from the Middle Ages to the present, the exhibition includes two manuscripts related to the publication of Leonardo da Vinci’s Treatise on Painting; Renaissance and modern bookbindings of exceptional craftsmanship; an extraordinary group of manuscripts related to Queen Elizabeth I, Marie de’ Medici, Edgar Allan Poe, and John Coltrane; groups of photographs by Emmet Gowin and Frederick Sommer; and drawings by Parmigianino, Annibale Carracci, Cy Twombly, Helen Frankenthaler, Giuseppe Penone, and Bridget Riley.

J. Pierpont Morgan’s son, J. P. Morgan Jr., who, under the leadership of the Morgan’s inaugural director, Belle da Costa Greene, opened the private library to the public in 1924. Over the past century, the Morgan has grown from a private collection of rare books and manuscripts into a vibrant cultural institution, renowned for its exceptional holdings of historical, literary, and artistic treasures.

“The Morgan’s centennial last year was a moment to reflect on our extraordinary history and to look forward to the future,” said Colin B. Bailey, Katharine J. Rayner Director of the Morgan Library & Museum. “These acquisitions, made possible through the generosity of our donors, represent the Morgan’s ongoing mission to collect, preserve, and share works of profound artistic and historical significance. They are a testament to the enduring legacy of J. Pierpont Morgan and Belle da Costa Greene, who envisioned a public institution that would inspire generations to come.”

John McQuillen, Associate Curator of Printed Books & Bindings, added, “This exhibition is a celebration of the Morgan’s past, present, and future. Each work tells a story whether it’s a rare Renaissance bookbinding from a woman's library, a glimpse into John Coltrane’s creative process, or a contemporary photograph that captures the intimacy of human connection. Together, these acquisitions demonstrate the breadth and depth of the Morgan’s collection and its relevance to our understanding of art and culture.”

The exhibition includes works that represent all of the Morgan’s collecting departments: Drawings and Prints, Literary and Historical Manuscripts, Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts, Modern and Contemporary Drawings, Music Manuscripts and Printed Music, Photography, and Printed Books and Bindings.

Included in the exhibition is the “Hours of Anne de Neufville,” a stunning Book of Hours circa 1430 illuminated by the Bedford Master that further exemplifies the Morgan’s mission to celebrate and safeguard the artistry of the past. Named after a sixteenth-century owner, this manuscript is a treasury of gold and rich colors, showcasing the virtuosity of the most influential French illuminator of the early fifteenth century. The Adoration of the Magi scene, which is on view in the exhibition, reflects the artist’s mastery with its intricate details and vibrant palette. The manuscript’s date is confirmed by the orange tunic worn by the youngest Magus, a subtle detail that anchors the work in its historical context.

This exquisite Book of Hours demonstrates the Morgan’s role in preserving illuminated manuscripts and making them accessible to the public, a mission that began with Belle da Costa Greene’s visionary leadership.

Portrait of Pope Pius V and Teodosio Fiorenzi (1566–68) by Giovanni Battista Capocaccia is known to be one of two wax portraits by the artist mentioned in the 1568 edition of Giorgio Vasari’s Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects. Capocaccia presents Pope Pius V (Antonio Michele Ghislieri, 1504–1572; r. 1566–1572) in ordinary dress, rather than papal regalia, with his secretary Teodosio Fiorenzi (1535–1591), who may have been the patron or recipient of the intimate painting. The rare, delicate three-dimensional portrait is housed in an elaborate wooden book box created around the same time by the Vatican bindery that features gilt decorations on red morocco goatskin.

Annibale Carracci’s red chalk drawing A Boy Lying on His Back (ca. 1582) has often been reproduced but the original has not been shown publicly for nearly fifty years. Life drawing was a central activity of the Carracci family’s art academy in Bologna, and the bold naturalism that arose from this practice helped reform Italian painting, initiating a shift from Mannerism to the Baroque. This sheet is a typical Carracci exercise, adopting an unexpected viewpoint to study a model in an unconventional pose. Such drawings could then be used as the basis for paintings: in this case, for the remarkable early Lamentation (ca. 1582) by Annibale’s cousin Ludovico.

Leonardo da Vinci’s Trattato della pittura (A Treatise on Painting) is a manuscript fair copy produced in the workshop of Cassiano dal Pozzo around 1638–1641. Compiled by Leonardo’s longtime assistant Francesco Melzi, the Treatise remained unpublished until 1651, when it was printed in Paris with illustrations by Nicolas Poussin and Gasparo Berti. This heavily revised copy, once owned by Cassiano dal Pozzo, includes drawings that illustrate chapters “on forceful movements of human limbs” and “on human movement,” offering a fascinating glimpse into Leonardo’s enduring influence on art and science. The acquisition of this manuscript not only enriches the Morgan’s holdings of Renaissance objects but also highlights the institution’s dedication to preserving the intellectual and artistic legacy of one of history’s greatest minds.

An autograph manuscript featuring fragments and drafts for incomplete compositions by the legendary saxophonist, composer, and bandleader John Coltrane is also included in the exhibition. This manuscript (cs. 1945-55), which belonged to Coltrane’s family, is a glimpse into the formative years of one of jazz’s great innovators. Although these drafts do not represent any known finished composition, they show Coltrane’s early explorations with the complex new bebop style, which emphasized virtuosic improvisation, intricate harmonies, and rapid tempos. The eighth-note runs and dissonance harmonies show an artist testing his technical limits and absorbing the revolutionary language of the genre. These fragments capture a pivotal moment when Coltrane was evolving into a composer with a singular voice.

Exemplifying the Morgan’s embrace of modern and contemporary art, Helen Frankenthaler’s Third Floor, 94th Street, No. IV (1960) is a testament to the institution’s evolving identity over the past century. Frankenthaler’s pioneering soak stain technique, which involved applying swaths of oil paint onto unprimed canvas and allowing the color to seep in, is showcased here on a smaller scale. She first demarcated areas in charcoal before saturating the sheet with pools of color, creating a dynamic interplay of form and hue. The subtle twist of blue gouache at the center of the composition highlights her free- form, fluid marks. While Frankenthaler’s canvases are often large, she described working on a smaller scale as more intimate due to her proximity to the surface. This gouache and charcoal work underscores Frankenthaler’s pivotal role in bridging Abstract Expressionism and the Color Field movement, demonstrating her virtuosic application of color and form.

Reflecting the Morgan’s ongoing commitment to acquiring works that resonate with contemporary audiences, Emmet Gowin’s Edith in Panama, Double Portrait, Holding, with Leaf Predation (2003) bridges the past and present. Known for his masterful prints on commercial gelatin silver paper, Gowin also explored early photographic processes, including the unpredictable salted paper technique. While photographing nocturnal moths in a rainforest in Panama, Gowin found himself missing his wife, Edith, and brought her close by creating a paper cutout of the two of them together. The resulting image, a salted paper print, combines personal intimacy with technical innovation, showcasing Gowin’s ability to merge emotion and artistry. This work captures a moment of profound connection and creativity, embodying the Morgan’s dedication to celebrating the human experience through art.