The man who discovered the Royal Tombs of Ur insisted that only she could illustrate the publication of his excavation. One giant of Maya archaeology said no living artist could equal her work; another said her paintings were “simply magnificent.” They were speaking of M. Louise Baker, a uniquely talented artist who captured some of the greatest archaeological finds of the early 20th century in water colors of exceptional beauty. Although many of the books she illustrated are out of print, this exhibition of her paintings (many of them shown for the first time) confirms the opinions of her peers.

More than 50 magnificent water colors of finds from Ur, Nubia and the Maya region, reveal why M. Louise Baker was recognized as the preeminent archaeological artist of her generation and introduce her brilliant paintings to a new generation. The exhibition is augmented by a companion publication, Maya Painted Pottery: The life and art of M. Louise Baker.

This show can stand alone or be used to supplement the exhibit Painted Metaphors: Pottery and Politics of the Ancient Maya.

Availability	Fall 2009
Gallery Space	min. 200 running feet
Venue Period	12 weeks. Every effort will be made to accommodate special requests from borrowers.
Contents	50 framed wall-ready watercolors. Venues may alter the arrangement and number of images they exhibit. Public relations material will be provided prior to the opening of the exhibit. A large-format hard cover book and related poster are also available. Speaker is available on request.
Shipping	To be arranged by the University of Pennsylvania Museum. Venue is responsible for inbound shipping costs.
Insurance	Covered by Penn Museum.
Installation/ Deinstallation	No courier necessary. Qualified staff at borrowing institution will install and deinstall the exhibition.
Requirements	Facility report must be submitted for review before approval of loan. Borrowing institutions must complete incoming and outgoing condition reports. The borrower must adhere to temperature and light controls for this exhibit.
Contacts	Katherine Blanchard Traveling Exhibits Coordinator 215-746-6976 kblancha@sas.upenn.edu