Paradoxes of 19th-Century Rome Subject of Clark Talk
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. - The paradoxes of ancient and modern Rome's place in the 19th-century will be explored by assistant deputy director Tom Loughman at the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute.Loughman's lecture, "Picturesque and Heroic: 19th-Century Painters Imagining the Eternal City," on Sunday, Nov. 15, at 3, complements the "Steps off the Beaten Path: 19th-Century Photographs of Rome and its Environs" exhibition currently on view. Admission is free.
Fascinated by both the fantasies and realities of Rome, artists of the 19th century created differing artistic compositions of the city. Some painters such as Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot depicted Rome in a rustic and threadbare fashion while others such as Jean-Leon Gerome portrayed Rome in a hyperdramatic and grandiose style. Loughman will discuss the artistic parallels to Italy's political and social flux during that period.
Technical innovations, artistic daring, and shifting socio-political circumstances led to a dramatic change in the photography of Rome in the late 19th century as well. Photographers of the Eternal City began to capture everyday scenes alongside ancient ruins, Baroque churches, and back streets, all of which industrialization was rapidly transforming. Through the 100 images in "Steps off the Beaten Path," viewers can step into a Rome that was about to step out of the pre-industrial age. The exhibition is on view at the Clark through Jan. 3, 2010.
The Clark is located at 225 South St. The galleries are open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 to 5. Admission is free November through May. For more information, call 413-458-2303 or visit clarkart.edu.
