McCreless Art Gallery

The first installation from the McCreless Collection was placed on campus in 2005 to create the McCreless Heritage Room in the main Administration Building. This elegant conference room is embellished with furniture, art, carpet and chandeliers to create a special ambience of elegance for university functions.

The McCreless Art Gallery installed in the reference area of the J. E. and L. E. Mabee Library in the fall of 2006 contains a variety of paintings, drawings, illuminated manuscript leaves and liturgical objects representing a wide spectrum of the art of the renaissance and Middle Ages. This special area is unique for a university library. It has been beautified by fine antique furnishings and oriental carpets. The latest additions to the collection include a depiction of St. Leonard in fresco form. This piece, shown on the front cover, is thought to date from 1320 and was acquired from the world renowned Hearst Collection. It is believed to be the earliest rendition of St. Leonard in the Western Hemisphere. Leonard–meaning “strong as a lion”–of Noblac was a sixth century French nobleman who visited prisoners every day and worked for their freedom. He used a grant of land from the king to found a monastery. He is a patron saint of prisoners, the mentally ill, farmers, blacksmiths and fruit vendors. One of the fourteen Holy Helpers, his feast day is celebrated November 6th.

This fresco is joined by three other recent McCreless acquisitions: a hand-carved wooden triptych dating from the 1500’s that was used as a traveling altar carried by priests from town to town. It still has its original wrought iron hanger. An exquisite painting of Venice by Gaurdi was added along with a red chalk drawing of “Judas”, circa 1705 by Carol Maratta. This original study became part of one panel in the famed Raphael’s Loggia at
the Vatican.

The centerpiece of the McCreless Art Gallery collection remains Madonna del Libro (Madonna of the Book) from the studio of Sandro Botticelli (1446-1510). It is believed that this artwork was created in the 1480s. The medium is tempera on wood and depicts Mary with the Christ Child looking upon the Book of Hours, a popular book of prayers for laymen in the 13th through 16th centuries. As a symbol of His future passion, the Christ Child is holding three nails and a crown
of thorns.