This hair ornament, modeled after the common wildflower Queen Anne’s Lace, is made of silver and copper with enamel, opals and garnets.

BALTIMORE, MD. – The Baltimore Museum of Art’s (BMA) distinguished collection of Fifteenth through Nineteenth Century European art returns to the galleries of the Jacobs Wing in a dramatic reinstallation.

“; Five Centuries of European Art,” features “Rinaldo and Armida,” one of the world’s finest paintings by Sir Anthony van Dyck, as well as French and Northern European masterpieces by Frans Hals, Rembrandt van Rijn, Jean Baptiste Simeon Chardin and Louise Elisabeth Vigee-Lebrun.

The galleries also showcase a superlative collection of Nineteenth Century French sculpture by Auguste Rodin and his teacher, Antoine-Louis Barye and works on paper by notable artists such as Eugene Delacroix and Edouard Manet.

“The newly restored galleries in the Jacobs Wing are a grand showcase for the BMA’s impressive collection of European art,” said BMA Director Doreen Bolger. “This dramatic reinstallation is another opportunity for visitors to discover and appreciate the richness of our collection.”

The examples of European paintings and sculpture in the galleries are integrated for the first time with a selection of decorative arts, such as jeweled snuffboxes, Sevres porcelain and an exquisite French writing desk. An ongoing rotation of works on paper dating from the Fifteenth Century permits the BMA to display exceptional rdf_Descriptions from its Old Master print collection. Highlights include etchings and engravings by Rembrandt and Albrecht Durer. The reinstallation also features three galleries of Renaissance and medieval works, including Botticelli’s “Virgin and Child” and a Fourteenth Century Burgundian “Madonna and Child” sculpture.

The Jacobs Wing galleries, designed by the great American Neo-classical architect John Russell Pope, have undergone a three-year, $1.9 million renovation and reinstallation. Physical improvements include a new roof and skylights, enhanced lighting designed by Gordon Anson of the National Gallery of Art, and the restoration of original woodwork, including floors and elaborate doorframes. The reinstallation builds on the success of the 2001 Cone Wing renovation and reflects the BMA’s ongoing commitment to presenting its collection in ways that create a dynamic and engaging visitor experience.

This reinstallation is generously sponsored by The Richard C. von Hess Foundation. The Institute of Museum and Library Services, a federal agency that foster innovation, leadership and a lifetime of learning, supported conservation of several important objects in this installation. The Jacobs Wing roof replacement was made possible through the use of capital improvement funds from the City of Baltimore.

“: Five Centuries of European Art” is curated by Sona Johnston, BMA senior curator of painting and sculpture.

Highlights of the galleries include superb works from the Seventeenth through Nineteenth Centuries, most notably van Dyck’s “Rinaldo and Armida,” 1629, a masterpiece of allegorical and Romantic painting. Other collection strengths include examples of Flemish, Dutch, and French painting: the intriguing gaze of “Dorothea Berck,” 1644, by portraitist Frans Hals, genre painter Chardin’s portrayal of a lovely maiden tossing a ball in “The Game of Knucklebones,” circa 1734, Rembrandt’s painting of his son peeking out from a dark canvas in “Titus,” 1660, and the beauty of the exotic “Princess Anna Alexandrovna Galitzin,” circa 1797, by French court portraitist Vigee-Lebrun. Other notable works include landscapes by Jacob van Ruisdael, Hubert Robert and Francesco Guardi.

The reinstallation also includes the first space for the public display of the extraordinary George A. Lucas Collection of Nineteenth Century French art. Composted of nearly 20,000 prints and drawings, as well as paintings, bronzes and an unusual selection of artist’s palettes, the collection provides a comprehensive survey of Nineteenth Century graphic arts. Artists represented include Honore Daumier, Eugene Delacroix and Edouard Manet, as well as major examples of sculpture by Antoine-Louis Barye and notable works by French academic painters and members of the Barbizon School.

Two intimate galleries will feature rotating thematic exhibitions from this collection. The first gallery celebrates the friendship between art collector George A. Lucas and animalier sculptor and painter Antoine-Louis Barye with a selection of the artist’s bronze sculptures of animals engaged in combat, as well as several works in watercolor. The second gallery will highlight a selection of paintings ranging from French academic painting to Orientalism, including the works by Jean-Leon Gerome and Benjamin Constant.

The museum is open Wednesday through Friday, 11 am to 5 pm; Saturday and Sunday, 11 am to 6 pm; and during the first Thursday of every month, 11 am to 8 pm. Admission is $7. The BMA is on Art Museum Drive at North Charles and 31st Streets. For information, 410-396-7100 or www.artbma.org.