July 2007
In this Issue:

1. www.nga.gov Has a Fresh Look For Summer

2. Crosscurrents: American and European Masterpieces from the Permanent Collection

3. Desiderio da Settignano: Sculptor of Renaissance Florence

4. Edward Hopper Exhibition Film on iTunes

5. Gallery Acquires Rare 17th Century Ivory

6. Undisturbed by Color

7. Tabernacle Frames from the Samuel H. Kress Collection

8. Foto: Modernity in Central Europe, 1918-1945

9. Jazz in the Garden

Forward this Newsletter to a Friend

1. www.nga.gov Has a Fresh Look For Summer

You may notice some changes to the National Gallery of Art Web site. We have enlarged the artworks pictured on our home page and updated the usefulness of our online calendar. We continue to make improvements to the site and welcome your thoughts and suggestions. E-mail us at Webfeedback@nga.gov.
http://www.nga.gov

2. Crosscurrents: American and European Masterpieces from the Permanent Collection

Some of the most notable and popular paintings from the National Gallery of Art's American, British, Spanish, and 18th- and early 19th-century French collections have been reinstalled in the Ground Floor central galleries of the West Building while the Main Floor galleries undergo renovation. Crosscurrents: American and European Masterpieces from the Permanent Collection is on view through December 31, 2007. Sponsored by Siemens.
http://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/crosscurrentsinfo.htm

3. Desiderio da Settignano: Sculptor of Renaissance Florence

The work of Desiderio da Settignano (c. 1429–1464), who is regarded as one of the greatest sculptors of the Italian Renaissance, inspired contemporaries to declare that he brought cold marble to life. Trained in Florence in the mid-15th century, Desiderio is believed to have studied under Donatello. Owing to Desiderio's premature death, very few works by the artist exist. This exhibition features 28 works from around the world, including the artist's tender busts of children, his extraordinary low reliefs, his groups of the Virgin and Child, and his delicate portraits of women. The exhibition is on view July 1 through October 8, 2007, in the West Building, Main Floor.
http://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/settignanoinfo.htm

4. Edward Hopper Exhibition Film on iTunes

The iconic paintings and artistic impact of Edward Hopper (1882–1967) are explored in a new documentary film produced by the National Gallery of Art. It will accompany Edward Hopper, an exhibition on view at the Gallery from September 16, 2007, through January 21, 2008. Preview a 4-minute clip of the film on iTunes at http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=257590780. The 30-minute DVD is currently available for $19.99 through the National Gallery of Art Shops. To order the DVD, call (800) 697-9350 or (202) 842-6002; fax (202) 789-3047; or e-mail mailorder@nga.gov.

5. Gallery Acquires Rare 17th Century Ivory

The National Gallery of Art has just acquired one of the finest European ivory carvings of the Roman baroque: Christ Bound (1620s), attributed to Francois Duquesnoy (1597–1643). It is a stunning sculpture whose swaying pose follows the contours of the large tusk from which it was carved. Hands and drapery elements are cut daringly free of the body. Masterfully rendered details of muscles, veins, hair, and expression give immediacy to Christ's suffering, made all the more poignant by his beauty. The statuette is currently on view in the West Building, Ground Floor, gallery 10.
http://www.nga.gov/press/2007/gift0706.htm

6. Undisturbed by Color

Before the invention of photography, works of art were reproduced as engravings or lithographs. Soon afterward, the photograph became the most popular method of reproduction used by art dealers, and to own albums of art images demonstrated a collector's ingenuity. This small but important exhibition includes the first photographically illustrated auction catalogue, the first photographic facsimile of a manuscript, and the first attempts to document the drawings collection of the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. It is a fascinating summary of photography's early emergence as a commercial recording instrument for the arts. The exhibition continues through August 18, 2007, in the West Building, Ground Floor, gallery 21.

7. Tabernacle Frames from the Samuel H. Kress Collection

Paintings usually take center stage in a museum, but this display features some of the frames made to surround them. The term tabernacle frame comes from the architecture on which their shape is based. While the frames protected the image, their chief purpose was symbolic. They elevated the painting, giving it a shrine-like appearance. This exhibition is on view from July 7 through September 9, 2007, in the East Building Reception Room.

8. Foto: Modernity in Central Europe, 1918-1945

Photography fired the imagination of hundreds of artists, provided a creative outlet for tens of thousands of devoted amateurs, and became a symbol of modernity for millions in central Europe during a period of tremendous social and political upheaval. More than 150 photographs, books, and magazines unveil an era and herald photography as a modern art form. A program of films, lectures, and concerts accompanies the exhibition, which is on view through September 3, 2007.
http://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/fotoinfo.htm

9. Jazz in the Garden

The National Gallery of Art's popular Jazz in the Garden series offers summer evenings of free jazz concerts in the Sculpture Garden through August 31, 2007. Every Friday evening from 5:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., rain or shine, top regional artists perform a mix of jazz styles from swing and progressive to Latin in front of the Pavilion Cafe, next to the grand fountain and reflecting pool. The cafe also offers a seasonal light-fare menu and cold beverages during the Friday evening series, when Sculpture Garden hours are extended to 9:30 p.m.
http://www.nga.gov/programs/jazz.htm