Toledo Museum of Art Buys Record-Setting F. Holland Day Photographic Series

The Toledo Museum of Art has added F. Holland Day's The Seven Words (1898) to its collection, a seven-panel platinum print showcasing the artist as Jesus Christ on the cross. This acquisition marks the museum's priciest photograph and the inaugural Day piece in its holdings, obtained through Bruce Silverstein Gallery at Paris Photo in 2023. It is set to be exhibited in autumn 2027 following a reinstallation. Director Adam M. Levine describes it as "the most important photograph that people don't know about." The acquisition was spearheaded by Curator Erin Corrales-Diaz after a 2021 evaluation. The work first appeared at the inaugural Philadelphia Photographic Salon in 1898, with 29 out of 30 Boston religious leaders endorsing its spiritual themes. Conservation efforts are currently in progress to ensure optimal light conditions.