Contact: Tricia Suit Marketing and Communications Manager (513) 684-4526, tsuit@taftmuseum.org
Hit the beach this summer with a visit to Old Masters to Impressionists: Three Centuries of French Painting from the Wadsworth Atheneum Celebrate the first day of summer with a trip to the Beach at Trouville! The exhibition Old Masters to Impressionists: Three Centuries of French Painting from the Wadsworth Atheneum, now at the Taft Museum of Art, offers two views of this famous beach – one by Eugène Boudin and another by Claude Monet. Along with beautiful beaches, this exhibition features wind-swept seascapes, lush landscapes, riveting portraits, and numerous iconic images from artists inspired by France, including Chardin, Boucher, Géricault, Delacroix, Courbet, Manet, Degas, Pissarro, Renoir, and Van Gogh. The work of Claude Monet and other Impressionists surprised and captivated viewers in the late 19th century, but they were not the first generation of French artists to present radical new ways of seeing and making art. For three centuries artists in France operated at the vanguard of European art. “If some of the paintings in the exhibition look familiar, it is because people have seen them reproduced in lavish coffee-table books—they are icons of French art,” says Lynne Ambrosini, chief curator at the Taft Museum of Art. “Yet mere reproductions will not have prepared you for the suave elegance of their underlying drawing or the warm, transparent depth of their layers of color.” The paintings in the exhibition offer a lens through which to view the historic changes in French culture during this period. Ranging from Baroque still lifes to Impressionist seascapes, the works reflect a nation moving from pastoral to urban living and the increasing industrialization of modern France. “Arguably no nation produced as much great art during the 17th through 19th centuries as France,” says Ambrosini. “This exhibition reveals the dazzling accomplishments of painters ranging from Claude Lorrain, the greatest 17th-century landscapist, to Claude Monet, the acclaimed Impressionist.” Old Masters to Impressionists: Three Centuries of French Painting from the Wadsworth Atheneumn continues through September 16 at the Taft Museum of Art. The Wadsworth Atheneum, located in Hartford, CT, is the oldest public art museum in the United States, with a collection of French and American Impressionist paintings, Hudson River School landscapes, modernist masterpieces and contemporary works, as well as early American furniture and decorative arts. The Wadsworth is currently undergoing an extensive renovation. Sponsors: Alpaugh Family The H.B., E.W. and F.R. Luther Charitiable Foundation, Fifth Third Bank and Narley L. Haley, Co-Trustees An anonymous gift in celebration of the memory of Katharine T. and Fletcher E. Nyce A Friend of the Taft Museum of Art Docents of the Taft Museum of Art Exhibition Support Generously Provided By Ellen and George Rieveschl Endowment ArtsWave Partner: P&G Operating Support Provided By ArtsWave; Ohio Arts Council 80th Anniversary Season Sponsors Fifth Third Private Bank Fifth Third Foundation Images: (left) Eugène Boudin, Beach at Trouville, 1863, oil on panel, and (right) Claude Monet, The Beach at Trouville, 1870, oil on canvas, The Ella Gallup Sumner and Mary Catlin Sumner Collection Fund. Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT.
The Taft Museum of Art is at 316 Pike St., in downtown Cincinnati. The Museum is open Wednesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $8 for adults, $6 for students and seniors and free for children under 18. The museum is free to all on Sundays. Call 513-241-0343 or visit the website at www.taftmuseum.org for additional information. ###### The Taft Museum of Art is supported in part by the generosity of individuals and businesses that give annually to ArtsWave. The Ohio Arts Council helps fund the Museum with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence, and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans. The Taft Museum of Art is accredited by the American Association of Museums and is affiliated with the Association of Midwest Museums and the Ohio Museums Association. Mission Statement The Taft Museum of Art welcomes people of every background to experience a world-renowned collection in a beautiful historic house. Through its intimate presentation of the Tafts' treasures and its engaging exhibitions, programs, and activities, the Museum creates enjoyment and learning opportunities for all. Diversity Statement The Taft Museum of Art respects the dignity of all people and values what each member of our team brings to the organization. Accordingly, the Museum is committed to building an inclusive environment that welcomes and values diversity. This includes our staff, board of directors, volunteers and visitors. As an organization we recognize the importance of attracting and retaining talented people of different backgrounds. We understand how a diverse work team of staff, board of directors and volunteers benefits our organization by enabling us to draw upon a richness of resources. We want all our team members to feel appreciated for their uniqueness, so we work to foster an environment that provides everyone equal access to information and opportunities. This ensures that each person learns, grows, excels and maximizes his or her personal contributions. The Museum will thus be able to tap into a greater wealth of knowledge, perspectives, and experiences to develop and deliver programs and services to an increasingly diverse audience.