San Antonio Museum of Art Presents Ancient Beauty and Body Art from Four Continents
October 19, 2026
On view starting November 21, 2026
Press Release, Images and Captions
San Antonio, TX—October 19, 2026—Ancient Beauty and Body Art from Four Continents, a new focus exhibition curated by Lynley McAlpine, PhD, explores traditions of beauty and body adornment across four geographically and historically distant cultures—New Kingdom Egypt, Early Imperial Rome, Classic Maya, and Tang Dynasty China. The exhibition will be on view in the Steves Gallery at the San Antonio Museum of Art (SAMA) from November 21, 2026, to November 27, 2027.
Ancient Beauty highlights objects from SAMA’s ancient collections, along with generous loans from the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, the Brooklyn Museum, and the Witte Museum. Alongside portraits and other depictions of people from these four cultures, the exhibition displays tools, accessories, and vessels used in antiquity as part of beauty and body modification practices. Additionally, Ancient Beauty highlights precious objects related to self-care and adornment that individuals were buried with, reflecting identities that extended into the afterlife.
“The ancient world was obviously very different from our own in a lot of ways, but actually most of what we do today to enhance or alter how we look are things people were already doing thousands of years ago,” McAlpine, Associate Curator of Provenance Research, said. “I hope visitors to the exhibition are excited to see ancient objects related to all these things and more.”
While art museums often examine beauty within a single cultural context, Ancient Beauty expands this perspective by highlighting the similarities and differences between cultures. The exhibition invites visitors to reflect on how modern beauty and fashion standards and practices compare to those of the past.
Public programming in conjunction with Ancient Beauty will be announced throughout the run of the exhibition.
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San Antonio Museum of Art:
The San Antonio Museum of Art serves as a forum to explore and connect with art that spans the world’s geographies, artistic periods, genres, and cultures. Its collection contains more than 30,000 works representing 5,000 years of history. Housed in the historic Lone Star Brewery on the Museum Reach of San Antonio’s River Walk, the San Antonio Museum of Art is committed to promoting the rich cultural heritage and life of the city.
For more information, visit samuseum.org.
Visitor Information:
Ancient Beauty and Body Art from Four Continents is included with Museum admission.
Media:
For interviews, digital images, or additional information, please contact:
Alma Solis, PR & Social Media Manager
210.978.8113 | alma.solis@samuseum.org
