Discover new narratives in reimagined galleries 2, 4, and 5 | Honolulu Museum of Art
Source: https://honolulumuseum.org/discover-new-narratives-in-reimagined-galleries-2-4-and-5-8m9s
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:15
Discover new narratives in reimagined galleries 2, 4, and 5 | Honolulu Museum of Art
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Mon Nov 3 2025
Discover new narratives in reimagined galleries 2, 4, and 5
The next time you head to the galleries of European and American art, you’ll find a whole new world to explore. Discover compelling narratives about piety, power, nationhood, revolution, and wonders of the natural world in HoMA’s newly refreshed and reinterpreted galleries 2, 4, and 5.
Curators collaborated to present updated stories and perspectives on some of HoMA’s most popular paintings and sculptures—it is always fascinating to see old favorites in a new setting. This phased reinstallation is one of the many planned changes coming to HoMA in advance of the Museum’s Centennial in 2027.
As you walk through the galleries, you’ll find a cohesive narrative that highlights broader artistic and intellectual transformations in Western culture from the 14th to the early 20th century. Some of the works have been off view for years or even decades.
Zoom in
Among the welcomed returns are a handful of recently restored works, including
Saint John the Evangelist
, HoMA’s stunning Renaissance masterpiece by Piero di Cosimo (c. 1504–06) in Gallery 2, which traces the evolution from Gothic to Renaissance art, moving from gold-leafed, otherworldly figures to sacred subjects set in natural spaces shaped by humanist ideals. Regarded as one of the greatest artists of the Renaissance, di Cosimo was a contemporary of Leonardo da Vinci. He was known in his time for his fanciful depictions of myths and allegories, but as can be seen in this painting, also skillfully rendered the human figure.
Saint John the Evangelist
was included in the acclaimed 2015 exhibition
Piero di Cosimo: The Poetry of Painting in Renaissance Florence
at the National Gallery of Art and the Uffizi Galleries and has not been on view at HoMA since 2017.
Zoom in
Gallery 4 now features European and American art from 1600 to 1900 and examines how painting was entwined with shifting political and religious currents, serving as an instrument of power in a world shaped by conquest, revolution, and industry.
This is where you’ll find two of HoMA’s celebrities—James McNeill Whistler’s
Lady Meux
, which spent the summer at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the exhibition
Sargent in Paris
, and
Mrs. Thomas Lincoln Manson Jr.
by John Singer Sargent, who made an appearance in season three of HBO’s
The Gilded Age
. The show accurately depicted him as the society portraitist of early 20th-century New York. You weren’t anybody if you didn’t pose for him.
Zoom in
In Gallery 5 is a dramatic salon-style display of 19th-century landscapes by Volcano School painters and others. Paired with select New England and Western romantic landscapes, this grouping offers nuanced views of the period’s industrial, expansionist—and at times, preservationist—trends, as well as the era’s aesthetic preferences for the picturesque.
Continuing the integration of arts of Hawaiʻi throughout the museum, this gallery also exhibits works portraying the Hawaiian monarchy. These include the companion portraits
Kamehameha III
(1825) and
Nahiʻenaʻena
(1825), and the double portrait of
Boki
,
Governor of Oʻahu of the Sandwich Islands, and his wife Liliha
(1824) on loan from Kamehameha Schools. As additional symbols of Hawaiian nationhood, the gallery’s display case now features regular rotations of Hawaiian flag quilts, while some of the landscapes across the room offer symbolic tributes to the Kingdom with the painted presence of the Hae Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian Flag) flying high.
These three refreshed galleries follow on the heels of galleries 7 and 8, which reopened in September with new views of modern art. Inspiring new interpretations of the collection like this would not be possible without the incredible support of our members—we thank you! And hope to see you in the galleries soon.
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We have received your application. We will contact you when tickets become available.
Something went wrong. Please call to be put on the waiting list.
Added:
To wishlist
To the cookie settings
To the main content
To the footer
Story
Mon Nov 3 2025
Discover new narratives in reimagined galleries 2, 4, and 5
The next time you head to the galleries of European and American art, you’ll find a whole new world to explore. Discover compelling narratives about piety, power, nationhood, revolution, and wonders of the natural world in HoMA’s newly refreshed and reinterpreted galleries 2, 4, and 5.
Curators collaborated to present updated stories and perspectives on some of HoMA’s most popular paintings and sculptures—it is always fascinating to see old favorites in a new setting. This phased reinstallation is one of the many planned changes coming to HoMA in advance of the Museum’s Centennial in 2027.
As you walk through the galleries, you’ll find a cohesive narrative that highlights broader artistic and intellectual transformations in Western culture from the 14th to the early 20th century. Some of the works have been off view for years or even decades.
Zoom in
Among the welcomed returns are a handful of recently restored works, including
Saint John the Evangelist
, HoMA’s stunning Renaissance masterpiece by Piero di Cosimo (c. 1504–06) in Gallery 2, which traces the evolution from Gothic to Renaissance art, moving from gold-leafed, otherworldly figures to sacred subjects set in natural spaces shaped by humanist ideals. Regarded as one of the greatest artists of the Renaissance, di Cosimo was a contemporary of Leonardo da Vinci. He was known in his time for his fanciful depictions of myths and allegories, but as can be seen in this painting, also skillfully rendered the human figure.
Saint John the Evangelist
was included in the acclaimed 2015 exhibition
Piero di Cosimo: The Poetry of Painting in Renaissance Florence
at the National Gallery of Art and the Uffizi Galleries and has not been on view at HoMA since 2017.
Zoom in
Gallery 4 now features European and American art from 1600 to 1900 and examines how painting was entwined with shifting political and religious currents, serving as an instrument of power in a world shaped by conquest, revolution, and industry.
This is where you’ll find two of HoMA’s celebrities—James McNeill Whistler’s
Lady Meux
, which spent the summer at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the exhibition
Sargent in Paris
, and
Mrs. Thomas Lincoln Manson Jr.
by John Singer Sargent, who made an appearance in season three of HBO’s
The Gilded Age
. The show accurately depicted him as the society portraitist of early 20th-century New York. You weren’t anybody if you didn’t pose for him.
Zoom in
In Gallery 5 is a dramatic salon-style display of 19th-century landscapes by Volcano School painters and others. Paired with select New England and Western romantic landscapes, this grouping offers nuanced views of the period’s industrial, expansionist—and at times, preservationist—trends, as well as the era’s aesthetic preferences for the picturesque.
Continuing the integration of arts of Hawaiʻi throughout the museum, this gallery also exhibits works portraying the Hawaiian monarchy. These include the companion portraits
Kamehameha III
(1825) and
Nahiʻenaʻena
(1825), and the double portrait of
Boki
,
Governor of Oʻahu of the Sandwich Islands, and his wife Liliha
(1824) on loan from Kamehameha Schools. As additional symbols of Hawaiian nationhood, the gallery’s display case now features regular rotations of Hawaiian flag quilts, while some of the landscapes across the room offer symbolic tributes to the Kingdom with the painted presence of the Hae Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian Flag) flying high.
These three refreshed galleries follow on the heels of galleries 7 and 8, which reopened in September with new views of modern art. Inspiring new interpretations of the collection like this would not be possible without the incredible support of our members—we thank you! And hope to see you in the galleries soon.
Suggested stories
Bodhisattvas and Bart Simpson: All about Tsherin Sherpa and his work
Explore Tsherin Sherpa’s journey from traditional thangka painter to global contemporary artist blending Buddhist iconography with pop culture in Divine Disruption.
Story
New jewelry line is inspired by HoMA artworks
GAMAR x HoMA collection reimagines HoMA artworks as ethically crafted gemstone jewelry, inspired by O’Keeffe, Hokusai, Guanyin, and more.
Story
The Garden Club of Honolulu wants you to “Imagine That!” May 8-10
Experience Imagine That!—the Garden Club of Honolulu’s Major Flower Show at HoMA, May 8–10, featuring stunning floral design, sustainability, and community inspiration.
Story
We have received your application. We will contact you when tickets become available.
Something went wrong. Please call to be put on the waiting list.
Added:
To wishlist