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Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn (Dutch, 1606-1669)
The Three Crosses, 1653, drypoint with engraving, fourth of five states
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The DAC collection chiefly consists of works of art on paper, including some 18,000 prints and 6,000 photographs. Medium-specific pages offer glimpses into some aspects of the collection:
The links above lead to general information about the collection. Elsewhere on the DAC site, digital images of selected objects are available for online study in connection with specific Wesleyan courses and in systematic groups of objects.
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Félix-Henri Bracquemond (French, 1833-1914)
Portrait of Erasmus, 1863, Etching after Hans Holbein, first and eighth of ten states (photo: Phil)
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The heart of the print collection was given to Wesleyan in the 1930s, 40s, and 50s by Harriet B. and George W. Davison (B.A. Wesleyan 1892), after whom the Davison Art Center is named. In 1952, the DAC was built to house the collection in an addition to the historic Alsop House. The collection continues to grow. In an average year, several hundred works (accepted if they serve the DAC's educational mission) are given to the museum and others are acquired by purchase; most purchases are made with funds raised by the Friends of the Davison Art Center. Some objects have been made available for loans to selected museums.
The collection is cataloged in a database which is accessible on museum premises. The DAC is currently working on a migration to a new collections database management system that will export data to the museum website. After the new system becomes operational, this site will support online searches of museum holdings. The DAC also has a Print Reference Library.
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