
EXHIBITIONS
CLOSING EXHIBITION
Italian Renaissance Architecture: Brunelleschi, Sangallo, Michelangelo-The
Cathedrals of Florence and Pavia, and St. Peter's, Rome Through March 19, 1995
West Building, West Garden Court, and main floor. Fourteen original Italian
Renaissance wooden architectural models, focusing on St. Peter's in Rome and the
Cathedrals of Florence and Pavia, are exhibited together with nearly seventy
related paintings, drawings, and prints by Buontalenti, Giambologna, and
Michelangelo. The centerpieces of the exhibition are Sangallo's model for St.
Peter's Basilica, the largest extant model from the Renaissance, which took seven
years to build; and an elaborate design for the Cathedral of Pavia, acclaimed for
its exceptional craftsmanship and sculptural detail. This impressive replica of
St. Peter's Basilica is nearly 15 feet high, 24 feet long, 10 feet wide, and
weighs over 6 tons. Also included are two other models of St. Peter's built under
Michelangelo's direction; Brunelleschi's models for the drum and dome of the
Cathedral of Florence; four models for the ballatoi (junction between the drum
and dome); and four additional models for the façade of the Cathedral of
Florence. Architects relied on these detailed scale models to assess and improve
their designs; to guide workmen during construction; to make accurate estimates
of building materials; and to demonstrate for patrons and clients the final
finished work. The exhibition at the National Gallery of Art was organized in
collaboration with the Palazzo Grassi and FIAT. The presentation in Washington
has been made possible by the National Gallery's Fund for the International
Exchange of Art. Alitalia Cargo System is the official carrier for the
exhibition.
CONTINUING EXHIBITION
Jasper Francis Cropsey's "The Spirit of War" and "The Spirit of Peace" Through
April 16, 1995 West Building, ground floor, central gallery 7
Two American paintings that have not been displayed together in public since 1857
are united in this exhibition. The Spirit of War (1851), from the National
Gallery of Art, and its companion, The Spirit of Peace (1851), from the Woodmere
Art Museum, Philadelphia, were considered by contemporaries to be among Jasper
Francis Cropsey's most important works. Cropsey (18231900) painted the two
scenes as pendants, exploring a complex series of ideas and employing a carefully
constructed system of contrasting elements: a turbulent landscape with a medieval
castle and knights preparing for battle on the one hand, and a peaceful scene
with a classical temple on the other. These two vistas seem worlds away from the
Hudson River Valley and the Catskill Mountains that dominated Cropsey's oeuvre.
The exhibition brochure is made possible through the generosity of Mrs. John C.
Newington.
CONTINUING EXHIBITION
Toulouse-Lautrec: Marcelle Lender in "Chilpéric" Through April 2, 1995 East
Building, mezzanine level
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec's grand, theatrical masterpiece, Marcelle Lender
Dancing the Bolero in "Chilpéric" (18951896), is the culminating work of art
based on his attendance at numerous presentations of the 1895 production of
Hervé's operetta Chilpéric at the popular Théâtre des Variétés in Paris. The
spirited painting depicts actress Marcelle Lender during the climactic moment of
the operetta. "Of all Lautrec's works on the theme of the theater," wrote noted
critic Fritz Novotny, "this picture is the greatest in both size and in
significance." The painting is a gift (partial and promised) of Betsey Cushing
Whitney in honor of John Hay Whitney, for the 50th anniversary of the National
Gallery of Art. This focus exhibition examines Lautrec's fascination with the
bold and expressive singer and dancer Marcelle Lender. An assortment of the
artist's colorful Chilpéric lithographs from the National Gallery of Art's
collection and other depictions of Marcelle Lender are also on view, giving
additional dimensions to the dramatic subject.
CONTINUING EXHIBITION
The Glory of Venice: Art in the Eighteenth Century Through April 23, 1995 West
Building, main floor galleries 60 through 79 The Glory of Venice: Art in the
Eighteenth Century is the first major international exhibition in the United
States to celebrate Venetian art of this period. A comprehensive selection of
works of art in a broad range of media illustrates the extraordinary
accomplishments of artists who were born and trained in Venice, one of the
greatest European cultural centers during the eighteenth century. The importance
of grand religious art is explored through altarpieces by Tiepolo, Piazzetta, and
others. The great view-painting tradition is traced through the works of
Carlevaris, Canaletto, Bellotto, and Francesco Guardi. Many of the artists,
including Piazzetta, Pietro Longhi, and Domenico Tiepolo, depicted everyday life
in Venice. Landscapes and portraits, history painting and allegories,
architectural fantasies and studies for decorative arts are also included.
Graphic art, which flourished during this period, is depicted through many
beautiful drawings, gouaches, prints, and illustrated books. The exhibition is
made possible by Mobil Corporation. The exhibition is also supported by the
National Gallery's Fund for the International Exchange of Art and an indemnity
from the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities.
CONTINUING EXHIBITION
Claes Oldenburg: An Anthology Through May 7, 1995 East Building, mezzanine and
upper levels The first major exhibition since 1969 to survey the highly original
art of Claes Oldenburg premieres at the National Gallery of Art. Approximately
200 of the most important collages, drawings, and sculpture from 1958 to the
present document the career of this versatile and remarkably prolific artist.
Oldenburg focused on the metamorphic potential of familiar objects to create new
forms and infuse the commonplace with life, wit, and alternative meanings. On
view are examples of his well-known "hard," "soft," and "ghost" works of food and
household objects, such as a giant icecream cone, light switch, and fans. Special
highlights of the installation are two of the artist's large-scale works: the
twenty-four-foot-tall Lipstick (Ascending) on Caterpillar Tracks, made for Yale
University in 1969, and Knife Ship I, a forty-foot-long sculpture that was the
centerpiece of the performance, Il Corso del Coltello (The Course of the Knife),
in Venice in 1985. Taking the form of a gigantic Swiss Army Knife‹complete with
moveable blades, oars, and corkscrew‹Knife Ship I, now newly restored, and its
accompanying performance were created in collaboration with Coosje van Bruggen,
the artist's wife, and architect Frank Gehry.
CONTINUING EXHIBITION
Imitation and Invention: Old Master Prints and Their Sources Through August 6,
1995 East Building, ground level Bringing together well-known prints with the
prints that inspired them and others that they in turn inspired, this selection
of sixty-four works illuminates the fascinating variety of visual influences from
the fifteenth through seventeenth centuries. Focusing on the National Gallery of
Art's superb collection of graphic art, the exhibition displays major works by
such revered artists as Lucas van Leyden, Albrecht Dürer, Andrea Mantegna, Martin
Schongauer, and Jacques Callot. The exhibition begins with the many aspects of
borrowing from early fifteenth- and sixteenth-century sources and ends by
highlighting the work of Rembrandt, one of the most innovative adapters of
earlier print sources.
return to program listing ~ return home ~