Are you a lover of paintings, sculpture, ceramics, furniture, and other works of art? This is a one-hour guide to some of the most notable pieces of artwork to see on your visit to MOAS! We hope you will join us again for a full day of exploring!

Stop #1: Dow Gallery of American Art

This 4,000 square-foot gallery is located in the Museum's North Wing and contains art that displays the material cultural history of America. Moving chronologically, the gallery covers several eras of American history, particularly the Pilgrim Century, Eighteenth Century, and American Victorian Period. The core of the gallery contains paintings and antique furniture given to the Museum by the Dow family. 

Blanket Chest

This unique chest dates back to 1694 and stands at the entry of the gallery, marking the beginning and earliest of the Museum's pieces of cabinetry. At the time, chests were made to order and were initialed when given as a gift. On this chest, the initials MS are written on it, which stand for Mercy Smith, the person who the chest was originally commissioned for. Less than 150 of these chests exist today. 

Portrait of Miss Perkings, Joseph Whiting Stock

The Portrait of Miss Perkings is a painting by Joseph Whiting Stock, a prominent American artist during the 19th century who was known for his portraits and miniatures. Stock's life was filled with hardships, as he was handicapped at a young age and had several health issues throughout his short life. Despite this, he found joy in painting and made his living off of it. His portrait of Miss Perkins displays his use of vibrant colors and his unique style of painting children. He often had them sitting and holding a prop of some sort, in this case, a cat. This position allowed him to create an illusion of a third dimension and earned him a reputation as a portrait artist for youth. With only about 100 of his works known today, the Museum is proud to have one of his portraits. 

Stop #2: Visible Storage

The Visible Storage Building serves both as a storage and an exhibit, displaying thirty percent of the Museum's objects. This feat is achieved by using a glass enclosure and by organizing the pieces so that they can be admired, yet easily accessible. The collection contains Napoleonic artwork, such as furniture, sculptures, and personal items. 

Napoleon Bonaparte's Death Mask

Created two days after Napoleon's passing, this plaster mask was created by pouring a mixture over his face and then removed once it had hardened. The mask allows us to see what Napolean looked like. Very few of these death masks exist in the world and was only done after the passing of great leaders at the time. 

Napoleon Bonaparte's Bed

Dating back to c. 1810, this Empire-style bed once resided in Napoleon's private personal chambers at the Palace of Versailles. The bed was given to the Museum by Kenneth Dow after he won it in an auction in New York.

Stop #3: Cuban Gallery

The Cuban Gallery is home to one of the most important collections of Cuban fine and folk art outside of Cuba. The core of the collection came from Cuban President Fulgencio Batista, a regular vacationer, and resident of Daytona Beach in the 1940s and 50s. Since then, the collection has grown with the contributions of other collections and artists. The collection now features over 200 works of Cuban fine art. 

The Cup of Coffee, Lorenzo Romero Arciaga

This oil painting was painted by Lorenzo Romero Arciaga, a prominent painter, curator, and conservator of art during the 20th century in Cuba. His painting, The Cup of Coffee, is a representation of the simple and happy peasant life of a family in Cuba. The most notable aspects of the paintings are Arciaga's depiction of people and objects. The husband sitting on the chair, the wife bringing coffee, and the people in the background all tell a story. They are surrounded by minimal, yet important objects, such as vases of flowers, pictures on the walls, and the cup of coffee, which the painting is named after. 

Peasant Child, Armando G. Menocal

This impressionist-style painting was painted by Armando G. Menocal, who was a major artist that was key in the development of modern Cuban painting. He was served with the Cuban revolutionaries during the war against Spanish colonial rule. His painting, Peasant Child, utilizes a technique with the use of colors and strokes to create a certain tone throughout the painting. This painting represents the coming together of European techniques and Cuban themes and culture. 

Cuban Landscape, Miguel Arias

The key feature of Cuban landscape painting is the integration of Cuban culture and life within the "place" of the painting. One of the fathers of this idea is Miguel Arias, whose painting, Cuban Landscape, is a wonderful representation of this style of painting. Although the majority of the painting is of Cuban agriculture and water, it is the other details that bring it to life. Arias included a farmer watering his horse near the front of the painting. In the back, he paints an ingenio, or a sugar plantation and mill, which was an important aspect of Cuba's economy. Arias' inclusion of these details connects Cuban landscape to Cuban life and culture in a seamless way. 

Are you a history buff as well? Check out our One-Hour Itinerary for the History Lover!