Dear Pennies & Pens,
As you all hopefully know, I recently expanded de la Pen in order to transition it from a fashion blog to an online lifestyle magazine. In essence, I am so excited to be featuring my first art exhibition. The exhibition is titled, “Anders Zorn: A European Artist Seduces America”. This exhibition is the first international loan exhibition and catalogue dedicated to this Swedish artist in the United States in more than 25 years. In fact, the exhibition opens today, February 28, 2013.
Anders Zorn was considered among the most prolific and talented artists living around 1900. Although highly esteemed by his contemporaries on both sides of the Atlantic, Zorn is little known to the general public in the U.S. today. Therefore the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is presenting a magnificent display of the artist’s work to spread awareness.
The exhibition will investigate how Zorn became an international artist who set the groundwork for modern art. It will reveal the artist’s achievement in a variety of areas such as his rapidly developing style from around 1890 to the early 1900s and his variety of subjects. It will be organized in five different segment areas including “Zorn and Gardner,” “Society Portraits,” “In the City,” “Country Life,” and “Artists’ Studios.” Twenty-four paintings are featured in the exhibition together with twenty-two drawings, photographs and letters; and gifts that Anders Zorn gave Gardner in 1894.
I must admit the exhibition sounds very intriguing. Although, I won’t get to see it in person, I’m loving Zorn’s work from the images I’ve seen. He knew how to capture the essence of his subjects. And his paintings are so accurate, they look like photographs at first glance. As someone who came up in the modern/digital world, it was cool to take a step back into time as I prepared this post.
“This exhibition is an opportunity to once again reveal Anders Zorn, this intoxicating artist who personifies the promises and contradictions of his time,” said Oliver Tostmann, William and Lia Poorvu Curator of the Collection at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. “It will be a rare look at a span of Zorn’s work in America and Europe, giving a glimpse at what made Zorn so prolific, and yet today [he] is often overlooked.”
I agree wholeheartedly with he above quote from Tostmann. Zorn’s work is breathtaking and it is important that it be revered and remembered so that it continues to stand the test of time. It’s always a shame when artists are overlooked but when there’s at least one or two fans, they’ll be remembered. My favorite works include a painting of a woman in a beautiful bold red dress, a woman in a white dress with a long necklace, there are also some semi-nude paintings that are breathtaking.
In conclusion, a fully illustrated 200-page catalogue will accompany the exhibition including 120 color images of artwork. It will include essays from international scholars who examine Zorn’s life, work, and success. Additionally, a series of related public programs will complement the exhibition. For more information about Anders Zorn: A European Artist Seduces America or other exhibitions and programs at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, please visit www.gardnermuseum.org.
And there it is. de la Pen…All Pen Everything.
