Art and Music from the Permanent Collection
Marcel Vertes (Hungarian French, 1895-1961). Girl with Violin, 1960. Gouache on paper. 22 x 12 3/4 inches. Artis—Naples, The Baker Museum. 1993.3. Gift of OlgaHirshhorn.
Morgan Russell (American, 1886-1953). Synchrony 1912-1913, ca. 1912-1913. Watercolor on paper. 6 x 4 inches. Artis—Naples, The Baker Museum. 2000.15.178. Museum purchase.
Irene Victoria Rousseau (American, b. 1941). Crescendo, 1997. Lithograph on Somerset velvet. 9 3/4 x 12 3/4 inches. Artis—Naples, The Baker Museum. 2011.7.33. Gift of the American Abstract Artists.
September 2018 – January 2019
Since ancient times, music has had symbolic significance in the visual arts. Whether in representations of the prowess of deities in Greek mythology, as attributes of moral virtue in Christian art, or as personifications during the Renaissance and Baroque, pictorial depictions of music in the history of art convey the expression of diverse human emotions. These images are metaphors for love; religious devotion; harmony; the passage of time; death and immortality.
This exhibition of work from the permanent collection explores the representation of music through an in-depth look at a group of paintings, sculptures, prints and objects by 20th-century artists. The selection shows a wide range of approaches to the theme. A painting by Jonathan Greene shows singer Etta James performing and accompanied by backup singers, while a photograph by Margaret Bourke-White captures Pablo Casals conducting at the Bach Music Festival in France in 1950. Works by A.E. Gallatin, Esphyr Slobodkina, Claude Lawrence and Irene Victoria Rousseau explore music conceptually by titling abstract images with musical terms. In addition, pieces by contemporary artists Max Neuhaus, Takashi Murakami, Christian Marclay and Terry Allen are the result of experimental explorations of sound and non-traditional formats. Other important works by José Clemente Orozco, Armando Amaya and Juan Soriano address dance in various media. Intermission: Art and Music from the Permanent Collection celebrates Artis—Naples’ mission through the visual and performing arts.
Exhibition organized by Artis—Naples, The Baker Museum.
Margaret Bourke-White (American, 1904-1971). Pablo Casals, Bach Music Festival, Prades, France, 1950, 1996. Gelatin silver print. 11 x 13 3/4 inches. Artis—Naples, The Baker Museum. 1999.3.007. Bequest of Herbert and Ruth Abramson.
José Clemente Orozco (Mexican, 1883-1949). La cortina roja (The Red Curtain), c. 1912. Watercolor and pencil on paper. 9 x 13 inches. Artis—Naples, The Baker Museum. 2002.2.048. Gift of Harry Pollak. © 2018 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / SOMAAP, Mexico City.
Associated Events
Exhibition Lecture: Intermission
December 14, 2018 at 10am
This exhibition is part of Artis—Naples’ 2018-19 season theme, Fashioning Influence.