Photo of the exhibition

A History of Brilliance: Working with Light

A History of Brilliance explores the history of humanity’s various engagements with light – making artificial lighting suited to different purposes, harnessing natural light from the sun, and experiencing the various feelings, thoughts, and inspirations that can arise in the presence of dazzling light.

The exhibition includes three sections – realms in which humans have worked with light. The first is “labor and literacy,” and shows visitors some of the ways lighting has been used for essential work, and has shaped the ways that work takes place. The second section treats light in the context of religion – its symbolic meanings and its ritual uses. The final section is on luxury and art, and features several examples of the ways lighting has been commodified as a luxury, and how artists across time have been inspired by natural light and by lighting innovations to create and adapt their artistic practices.

This exhibition was the culmination of the intern Beatrix Briggs’s summer internship at the Berkshire Museum in 2024.

Dates

August 24, 2024 - November 3, 2024

Times

Open during museum hours

Tickets

Included with admission

Location

Gallery 204

Perfect For All Ages