"Rembrandt to Gainsborough: Masterpieces from England's Dulwich Picture Gallery"
1999-10-24 until 2000-01-09
Museum of Fine Art, Houston
Houston, TX, USA United States of America

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.

Related Links:

Indepth Arts Resources for the State of Texas

Other Important Exhibitions in Houston