Exercises in Creativity: Italian Drawings, 1500-1800.
Snite Museum of Art
University of Notre Dame
April 3 – May 15, 2011
The Snite Museum of Art announces the opening of Exercises in Creativity: Italian Drawings, 1500-1800 April 3. This exhibition will provide visitors with an opportunity to gain deeper insights into some of Italy’s best-known masters, including Agostino Carracci, Sebastiano Ricci, and Jacopo Tintoretto. Less familiar artists who are equally representative of the social, political, or theological contexts that gave rise to these “exercises in creativity” will also be included.
The works on display exemplify how drawings functioned during this early period of modernization in Europe. Drawings were a way for artists to think aloud on paper, and therefore offer a glimpse into the creative process and working methods of an artist. Drawings can also inform spectators about important issues of the day by operating as a form of religious or political messages.
The study of old master drawings introduces visitors to the particular concerns surrounding works on paper, such as the production and manufacture of paper, technical developments in media, changes in technique, and conservation issues. An awareness of art’s materiality enhances the experience of the object as both an aesthetic and historical document.
This exhibition features works from the John D. Reilly Collection of Old Master and 19th-Centry Drawings selected by the students in the Italian Renaissance and Baroque drawing seminar offered by Associate Professor of Art History Robert Randolf Coleman.
A public reception will take place on April 3, from 2-4 pm, in conjunction with the 2011 BFA/MFA Candidates’ Thesis Exhibition opening.
This exhibition is free and open to the public. Please note our new website address: sniteartmuseum.nd.edu
The Snite Museum of Art, University of Notre Dame
The Snite Museum of Art is located on the campus of the University of Notre Dame, near South Bend, Indiana. Museum hours are 10 am to 4 pm, Tuesday and Wednesday; 10 am to 5 pm Thursday through Saturday; and Sundays 1 pm to 5 pm. Admission is free. Museum information is available at 574.631.5466 or at the Museum’s website:sniteartmuseum.nd.edu.
Driving directions and parking information are available athttp://ndsp.nd.edu/parking.
The Snite Museum of Art provides opportunities to enjoy, respond to, learn from, and be inspired by original works of art. As an integral unit of the University of Notre Dame, the Museum supports teaching and research; furthers faith-based initiatives for greater internal diversity and service to the external community; and reflects the traditions and values of the University.