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Venice in the Age of Canaletto
On view through May 9, 2010
Curated by Associate Curator Stanton Thomas, Memphis Brooks Museum of Art and Alexandra Libby, Assistant Curator, John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art
Exhibition Sponsors: The Samuel H. Kress Foundation and
The Assisi Foundation of Memphis
With Additional Support from: The Doris and Hubert Kiersky Charitable Remainder Trust
Shipping Sponsor: FedEx Corporation
Education Programs Sponsor: The Thomas W. Briggs Foundation
Family Day Sponsor: Carrier Corporation
This exhibition is organized by the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art and the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, and is made possible in part by the Samuel H. Kress Foundation and The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation.
This exhibition is supported by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities.
Catalogue Sponsors: Sally and Wil Hergenrader and The Scheidt Family Foundation Children’s Gallery Sponsor: Knowledge Tree
Inspired by Giovanni Antonio Canaletto’s marvelous and expansive painting The Grand Canal from Campo di San Vio—a gift from the Samuel H. Kress Foundation to the Brooks Museum—this exhibition celebrates Venice’s last, and most opulent, artistic efflorescence. This period, which spans the 18th century, saw the city transformed into a glittering destination for wealthy European tourists on the Grand Tour. Venice’s exotic setting, gambling dens, grand pageants, and famous carnival season, were enhanced by its extraordinary cultural heritage. The era saw the emergence of not only Canaletto, but Gianbattista Tiepolo, Sebastiano Ricci, Giovanni Battista Piazzetta, Francesco Guardi, and Bernando Bellotto. Their paintings evocatively capture the decadence, splendor, and beauty of city that was known as the “Drawing Room of Europe.” A collaborative effort of the Brooks and the Ringling Museum in Sarasota, Florida, Venice in Canaletto's Age offers a rare look at sumptuous paintings, as well as prints, furniture, and textiles from the city’s golden age.
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Exhibition Catalogue is now available at the Museum Store
$54 for members; $60 for non-members
Canaletto (Giovanni Antonio Canal), 1697-1768
The Grand Canal from the Campo San Vio (det.), ca. 1740
Oil on canvas
Memphis Brooks Museum of Art
Gift of the Samuel H. Kress Foundation 61.216
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