 In her breakthrough 1990 sculpture Ghost, Rachel Whiteread created a positive from a negative, making a plaster cast of the interior "void" of a Victorian parlor measuring approximately 9 feet wide, 11 1/2 feet high, and 10 feet deep. Whiteread said that she was trying to "mummify the air in the room," hence the title. Whiteread created Ghost over a period of three months in an abandoned building in North London, covering the interior walls with multiple plaster molds, each about 5 inches thick. In this interview Whiteread discusses the process of making Ghost and lends new insight into her work. On view in the East Building, Mezzanine Terrace.
www.nga.gov/podcasts/index.shtm#video (video podcast)
www.nga.gov/fcgi-bin/tinfo_f?object=131285 (object information)
luxmedia.vo.llnwd.net/o10/clients/nationalgallery/audio/objects/2004.121.1.mp3 (curator speaking) |
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 Jean-Francois Oeben enjoyed phenomenal success in his 41-year life. The German-born artist became a protege of Madame de Pompadour and, through her influence, was appointed court cabinetmaker to Louis XV in 1754. Oeben excelled in figurative veneer such as the still life with musical instruments, berries, and palm fronds decorating the top of this lady's mechanical table. Oeben made at least 11 other tables of this type, with differing interior arrangements and rococo motifs. On view in the West Building, Ground Floor, Gallery 13.
www.nga.gov/collection/gallery/gg14c/gg14c-1573.html (Writing and Toilet Table)
www.nga.gov/collection/gallery/gg14c/gg14c-main1.html (online tour: Rococo Decorative Arts of the Mid-1700s) |
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 Duchamp produced Fresh Widow in 1920, after returning to New York from Buenos Aires via Paris. The title, a pun on "French" and "Window," refers to the double windows common in Parisian apartments and to the recent widows of World War I. Fresh Widow is a variation on the idea of the readymade as a commercial object, transformed into a work of art by the application of a signature. Duchamp saw every aspect of his work—materials, subject matter, title—as a means of questioning what exactly constitutes a work of art. On view in the East Building, Upper Level, West Bridge.
www.nga.gov/fcgi-bin/tinfo_f?object=140327 |
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 Inspired by two Gallery exhibitions—Luis Melendez and The Art of Power—renowned chef Jose Andres created a special menu of signature Spanish dishes for the National Gallery's Garden Cafe. In this podcast, produced to celebrate the Garden Cafe Espana, Alvaro Soler del Campo (director, Royal Armory Madrid, and chief curator, Patrimonio Nacional) and Chef Andres discuss the past five centuries of Spanish culinary traditions, ranging from a rare book of recipes by the cook to King Philip II—recipes still enjoyed today—to luscious food items pictured by Melendez in his still lifes. Available in English and Spanish.
www.nga.gov/podcasts (podcast)
Podcast (in English): Listen | iTunes | RSS (10:07 mins.)
Podcast (in Spanish): Listen | iTunes | RSS (10:25 mins.)
www.nga.gov/dining#garden (Garden Cafe Espana menu)
www.nga.gov/exhibitions/armorinfo.htm (The Art of Power) |
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 Visitors may browse a wide selection of printed books from the National Gallery's online shop, including new arrivals, exhibition catalogues, scholarly publications, children's books, and guides to the collection. Each item includes a close-up cover image, description, and page and image counts. Purchase online immediately or add these beautiful catalogues to your wish list.
shop.nga.gov/nga/category.cgi?category=books |
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 The newly announced 68th season of Sunday concerts begins this autumn and extends into spring 2010. This month, programs include Arco Voce performing Italian Renaissance music in honor of Tullio Lombardo (October 4) and the Choral Arts Society of Washington singing music by Enrique Granados in conjunction with Hispanic Heritage Month and The Art of Power (October 11). For more information about upcoming programs, subscribe to our weekly concert e-mail newsletter.
www.nga.gov/programs/music (concerts)
subscribe.nga.gov/subscription_form_ngart.cfm (music programs newsletter) |
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 Plan your visit to the Gallery with the help of the October Calendar of Events. Schedules of films, lectures, gallery talks, family activities, and concerts provide details about each event. Check back often for the most up-to-date information, as new events are regularly added.
www.nga.gov/programs/calendar |
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 On October 1, 1989, the first major exhibition outside the Netherlands of paintings by Dutch artist Frans Hals opened at the National Gallery of Art. Organized by the Royal Academy of Arts, London, in association with the Frans Halsmuseum in Haarlem, the Netherlands, and the National Gallery of Art, Washington, the exhibition included 61 paintings and small oil sketches.
www.nga.gov/past/data/exh604.shtm (Frans Hals exhibition information)
www.nga.gov/cgi-bin/tsearch?request=S&artistid=1369 (Hals in the National Gallery collection) |
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