The sumptuousness and drama of European Baroque and
18th-century painting is spectacularly presented in Rembrandt to
Gainsborough: Masterpieces from Englands Dulwich Picture
Gallery, the finest exhibition of European painting ever seen at
the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.
Described as Londons most perfect gallery, Dulwich Picture
Gallery houses a renowned collection of European painting from
the 17th and 18th centuries, with a scope and range similar to the
great royal collections and national galleries of the world. Located
at Dulwich College, outside of London, the gallery is closed this
year for restoration and expansion, allowing highlights of the
collection to travel to other museums.
Rembrandt to Gainsborough: Masterpieces from Englands
Dulwich Picture Gallery comprises 90 outstanding Old Master
paintings, the largest and most important group of paintings ever
to go on tour from Dulwich Picture Gallery.
Reflecting the grandeur of Italian painting are masterworks such as
Guido Renis Saint John the Baptist in the Wilderness,
Giambattista Tiepolos sweeping Joseph Receiving Pharaohs
Ring, and Canalettos Old Walton Bridge over the Thames.
Spanish Baroque art is represented through four magnificant
canvases by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo.
Superb examples of French Baroque painting include works by
Nicolas Poussin, including the artists early masterpiece, The
Triumph of David, and paintings by Poussins illustrious
contemporaries Claude Lorrain and Charles Lebrun. Luscious
paintings by Jean-Antoine Watteau and Jean-Honoré Fragonard
epitomize the French Rococo.
Outstanding Baroque paintings of Northern Europe in the
exhibition include eight works by the Flemish master Peter Paul
Rubens; three exceptional portraits by Rembrandt Harmensz van
Rijn, including A Girl at a Window; and outstanding works by
David Teniers the Younger. Also presented are seascapes by
Willem van de Velde the Younger and luminous landscapes by
Dutch painters Jacob van Ruisdael and Aelbert Cuyp. Other
renowned Dutch masters included are Nicolaes Berchem, Gerrit
Dou, Adam Pynacker, and Adrian van Ostade.
British painting from the period is highlighted by the works of
Thomas Gainsborough, including two of his finest portraits. Works
by Anthony van Dyck, Sir Peter Lely, and William Hogarth are
also on view.
Rembrandt to Gainsborough: Masterpieces from Englands
Dulwich Picture Gallery is a rare opportunity to see outstanding
treasures from the oldest public art museum in England, and to
appreciate the marvels of European painting in the age of the
Baroque and the 18th century.
This exhibition is organized by The American Federation of Arts and Dulwich
Picture Gallery. The exhibition and its national tour are made possible by Ford
Motor Company. The catalogue is supported in part by the Samuel H. Kress
Foundation. Additional assistance is provided by the Benefactors Circle of the
AFA.
Local funding for this exhibition has been provided by
Continental Airlines; Houston Area Ford Dealers; Sarah Campbell Blaffer
Foundation; Mr. and Mrs. Meredith J. Long;
Tassie and Constantine Nicandros Foundation; Fayez Sarofim & Co.; the
Cullen Foundation; Mr. and Mrs. Michael S. Zilkha; Duke Energy; Goldman,
Sachs & Co.; Andersen Consulting;
Mr. and Mrs. Peter R. Coneway; Jessica and Jimmy Younger; and Central
Ford.
Educational programs for this exhibition are funded by the Sarah Campbell
Blaffer Foundation and Ford Motor Company.
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