Prints from the Serenissima: Connoisseurship and the Graphic Arts in 18th-Century Venice Opens at Harvard's Fogg Art Museum November 23

Vibrant Works Highlighted with Scholarly Student Touch

CAMBRIDGE, MA (October 28, 2002) - 62 prints from 18th-century Venice will be on display at the Fogg Art Museum from November 23, 2002 through March 9, 2003. The exhibition highlights the vibrant world of printmakers, collectors, and dealers who thrived in the Venetian Republic (known as La Serenissima, the Most Serene Republic) before its last doge surrendered to Napoleon's invading troops in 1797.

"Most exhibitions and art historical research dealing with Venetian art tend to focus on the Renaissance or Baroque periods," said James Cuno, Elizabeth and John Moors Cabot, director of the Harvard University Art Museums. "In contrast, this show will highlight the last one hundred years of the Venetian Republic and perhaps lead to a more qualified judgment about this so-called decadent period."

Organized by Darius A. Spieth, Philip and Lynn Straus Curatorial Intern during the 2000-2001 academic year, the exhibition includes 39 engravings, etchings, and chiaroscuro woodcuts from the Fogg's Print Department, as well as loans from Harvard's Houghton Library, the Harvard College Map Collection, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Spieth selected works that were visually appealing as well as significant from a scholarly perspective. Among the prints exhibited will be the long-forgotten Venetian etchings by the French baron Dominique Vivant Denon, a graphic artist, collector, writer, and traveler who lived and worked in Venice during the 1790s. There, he revived interest in etchings by Rembrandt and trained several native graphic artists. Denon later became famous as the director of the Louvre under Napoleon. "Because most of Venice's skilled printmakers fall outside the purview of common art historical knowledge, their work is neglected," said Spieth, who holds a Ph.D. in art history from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

"The Harvard University Art Museums have an excellent collection of Venetian prints from this period that are rarely shown," he said, noting that the Serenissima's political decline during the 18th century contrasted sharply with the climax of its cultural vigor. "Theaters, opera houses, and the publishing industry flourished, and wealthy foreign tourists flocked to the Lagoon of Venice. Fine arts were thriving in this climate, which gave rise to such artistic geniuses as Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, Sebastiano Ricci, and Giovanni Battista Piazzetta."

Along with showcasing Venice's dynamic graphic arts community, Spieth sought to illustrate:

• The importance of chiaroscuro woodcuts at the beginning of the 18th century,
• The influence of popular prints,
• The differentiation between subject matter in prints produced for northern European tourists and those created to appeal to native tastes,
• The enduring influence of Rembrandt's etchings on Venetian printmakers.

The Mediterranean city holds a special attraction for the curator. "It's difficult to convey the sense of enchantment you can have just by going there," he said. "I'm trying to recreate the personal enchantment I have with the city in this print exhibition."

On display
The exhibition includes eight etchings by Rembrandt, two of which (Resurrection of Lazarus and The Second Oriental Head) are on loan from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. In addition, there are 14 engraved frontispieces, maps, and book illustrations owned by Harvard's Houghton Library. The remainder of the works are held by the Fogg Art Museum in the Agnes Mongan Center for the Study of Prints, Drawings, and Photographs.

Among the visually engaging works on display will be:

• A 1741 chiaroscuro woodcut by John Baptist Jackson titled Crucifixion (3 plates),
• A 1741 etching by Giovanni Antonio Canal (called Canaletto) titled Imaginary View of Venice,
• A circa 1790 etching, by Vivant Denon after Rembrandt, called Joseph Relating His Dreams,
• A 1775 etching and aquatint by Giovanni David titled The Gondolier.

About the Harvard University Art Museums
The Harvard University Art Museums are one of the world's leading arts institutions, with the Arthur M. Sackler, Busch-Reisinger, and Fogg art museums, the Straus Center for Conservation, and the U.S. headquarters for the Archaeological Exploration of Sardis, an excavation project in western Turkey.

The Harvard University Art Museums are distinguished by the range and depth of their collections, their groundbreaking exhibitions, and the original research of their staff. As an integral part of the Harvard community, the three art museums serve as a resource for all students, adding a special dimension to their areas of study. The public is welcome to experience the collections and exhibitions as well as to enjoy lectures, symposia, and other programs.

For more than a century, the Harvard University Art Museums have been the nation's premier training ground for museum professionals and scholars and are renowned for their role in the development of the discipline of art history in this country.

Location and Hours
The Fogg Art Museum and the Busch-Reisinger Museum are located at 32 Quincy Street in Cambridge. The Arthur M. Sackler Museum is located next door at 485 Broadway. Each Museum is a short walk from the Harvard Square MBTA station.

Hours are Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Sunday 1 - 5 p.m.; the Museums are closed on national holidays. Admission is $6.50; $5 for seniors; $5 for students; and free for those under 18 years of age. The Museums are free to everyone on Saturday mornings, 10 a.m. until noon. The Harvard University Art Museums receive support from the Massachusetts Cultural Council. More detailed information is available at 617-495-9400 or on the Internet at www.artmuseums.harvard.edu.

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For more information on this project or the Harvard University Art Museums, please contact:

Matthew Barone
Harvard University Art Museums
tel 617-495-2397; fax 617-496-9762
mbarone@fas.harvard.edu

or

Kim Gilbert/Allison Derusha
Resnicow Schroeder Associates
tel 212-671-5157; fax 212-595-8354
kgilbert@resnicowschroeder.com
aderusha@resnicowschroeder.com