Storytelling flows through Western art, from the myths carved on a Roman sarcophagus to the implied narrative in a painting by Winslow Homer. How do we define a story? And how do verbal and visual storytelling differ? What strategies do artists employ to convey human interaction and emotion—or to include the essential element of time?

Through works in the MFA’s collection, discover how enduring myths and legends appear in multiple interpretations. Look closely at religious scenes to compare how they interpret similar material, see how artists have depicted memorable moments in works by writers such as Homer and Shakespeare, and learn how artists from recent centuries have created images that suggest unknown stories open to our invention or completion.

Barbara T. Martin, Alfond Curator Emerita of Education, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston