PORTLAND, ORE.- This rich overview of masterpieces from the 蒫ole des Beaux-Arts—the original school of fine arts in Paris and a repository for work by Europe’s most renowned artists since the seventeenth century—includes approximately 140 paintings, sculptures, and works on paper dating from antiquity through the nineteenth century.
The exhibition focuses on epic themes such as courage, sacrifice, and death, as well as the ways that changing political and philosophical systems affected the choice and execution of these subjects. Among the featured works are paintings by JacquesLouis David, Jean-Honor Fragonard, Anne-Louis Girodet, and Jean-AugusteDominique Ingres; sculpture by Antoine-Louis Barye, Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux, JeanAntoine Houdon, and Fran鏾is Rude; and drawings by Simon Vouet, Antoine-Jean Gros, and Th閛dore G閞icault.
Gods and Heroes offers unique insight into the development of an aesthetic ideology that fostered some of western art’s most magnificent achievements. The epic deeds of gods and heroes, enshrined in the Bible and the works of Homer, were the primary narratives from which both aspiring and established academicians drew their inspiration. At the 蒫ole, learning how to construct persuasive and powerful paintings from carefully delineated anatomy, expressive faces, and convincing architectural and landscape settings was understood to be the route to success and recognition. The ideology was rooted in the study of the idealized human form as envisioned in classical art. The exhibition features extraordinary works that served as models for the students, including ancient sculpture, a drawing by Raphael, and prints by Albrecht D黵er and Rembrandt van Rijn.
The exhibition is accompanied by a fully illustrated exhibition catalogue with a major essay by Guest Curator Emmanuel Schwartz, Conservateur du patrimoine/Research Curator at the 蒫ole des Beaux-Arts, as well as several other major contributions.
The Museum is presenting a variety of programs and events in celebration of Gods and Heroes: Masterpieces from the 蒫ole des Beaux-Arts, Paris is organized by the American Federation of Arts and the 蒫ole des Beaux-Arts, Paris, and host curated by Dawson Carr, Ph.D., The Janet and Richard Geary Curator of European Art.
