By Amy Somensky Dec 1, 2006, 3:40 GMT
London: Here are all the upcoming events at London's National Gallery for December 2006:
Exhibitions
Velázquez18 October 2006 - 21 January 2007
For the first time in Britain, a major exhibition will trace the career of one of the very greatest painters - Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez (1599-1660). From his beginnings in Seville, this exhibition follows his move to Madrid and appointment as court painter to Philip IV, his two trips to Italy, to his final days and his knighthood. Throughout his life Velázquez demonstrated an increasingly precocious ability to observe and record reality. He achieved ever greater physical and psychological naturalism using increasingly pronounced and elegant brushstrokes. Velázquez ultimately realised miraculous effects of illusion with an astounding, abbreviated technique that was to inspire future realists as well as the Impressionists. Drawing on the National Gallery's own rich holdings and major loans from the Museo del Prado and other collections, this exhibition will include around a third of the world's surviving works by Velázquez. It will demonstrate his extraordinary development through great examples of his religious and mythological paintings, alongside his portraits.
Manet to Picasso:A Redisplay of Modern Masters from the National Gallery Collection22 September 2006 - 20 May 2007
There is a unique opportunity to re-examine the outstanding scope of the National Gallery's collection, when its late 19th- and 20th-century paintings are displayed afresh in a new Sainsbury Wing installation. From the Impressionist masterpieces of Monet and Renoir, to iconic paintings by Van Gogh and Cézanne, this display includes familiar favourites alongside important loans. New juxtapositions will challenge audiences to reconsider well-known works, at the same time as exploring the relationships between major movements. The six rooms of the display will be organised chronologically, allowing visitors to trace the dramatic changes that occurred during some of the most exciting years of artistic development. Earlier 19th-century paintings will be displayed on the ground level of the Wilkins Building.
Cézanne in Britain4 October 2006 - 7 January 2007
October 2006 marks the 100th anniversary of the death of Paul Cézanne (1839-1906), acclaimed as one of the most influential and well-loved artists of all time. The National Gallery is celebrating the artist and his work with Cézanne in Britain - a retrospective focusing entirely on his works held in British collections. Reclusive and shy, Cézanne never came to Britain, yet thanks to pioneering collectors and forward-thinking dealers and scholars, his work has had a remarkable impact here. Britain now holds one of the world's most outstanding collections of works by the artist, and around forty of them from major institutions and private collections have been selected for Cézanne in Britain. This exhibition traces the full development of Cézanne's art with paintings, watercolours, drawings and prints, and covers his wide range of subject matter: portraits, still lifes and landscapes. World-renowned paintings such as Bathers (National Gallery, London) and Mont Sainte-Victoire (National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh) will be shown alongside rarely seen works from private collections.
Dutch Winter Scenes from the National Gallery Collection10 November 2006-2 January 2007
In the 17th century, north-western Europe suffered a series of unusually severe winters known as the 'Little Ice Age'. Snowfall was heavy, and canals and rivers regularly froze over during the winter months. Dutch landscape painters grappled with the aesthetic possibilities and practical problems of capturing these icy conditions. The intriguing paintings in this small exhibition celebrate the resilience of the Dutch people as they go about their daily business, even finding joy in the winter weather.
'89 Seconds at Alcázar': Eve Sussman and The Rufus CorporationSaturday 2-Tuesday 5 December, Continuous screening, 10.30am-5pmEve Sussman's video installation, 89 Seconds at Alcázar brings Velázquez's masterpiece Las Meninas (Prado, Madrid) to life in High Definition digital video and uses the painting as a point of departure for improvisation. The video was shot in a garage studio space in Brooklyn, New York, using a 360 degree Steadicam. It received its premiere at the 2004 Whitney Biennial. The video lasts 10 minutes and will be shown on a continuous loop.
Wednesday Lates and Saturday Lates
Enjoy art in the evening at our weekly Wednesday Lates. Come to the Sainsbury Wing Foyer for live music, talks and bar, and enjoy exhibitions and the collection until 9pm. Velazquez will open late on Saturdays throughout the exhibition.
ArtStartFree
Supported by American Express Foundation, the National Gallery's touch-screen multimedia facility allows all visitors to explore the Gallery's collection in astonishing detail. ArtStart terminals are situated in a specially designed room and at strategic positions in the Sainsbury Wing, and also in the café area of the newly opened Lower Hall. ArtStart allows visitors to zoom-in on the paintings, explore in-depth features on the 30 collection highlights, find information on artists and their works and print individual tours of the collection.
Belle Shenkman Music ProgrammeEvery Wednesday, 6-7.15pm, Room 18
Musicians from the Royal College of Music perform a different programme each week, thanks to generous support from the family of Belle Shenkman. The programme for November includes:
6 Wednesday - Gonzaga Consort: Vocal Ensemble
13 Wednesday - Katherine Manley (soprano) and Bridget Cunningham (harpsichord)
20 Wednesday - Katherine Manley (soprano), Chris Ainslie (countertenor) and Bridget Cunningham (harpsichord)
Education Events
Wednesday evening lecture - Cézanne: Impressionist?Wednesday 6 December, 6.30pm, Sainsbury Wing Theatre. John House
Cézanne was the central artist in the exhibition that Roger Fry organised in London in 1910 with the title Manet and the Post-Impressionists, and the label Post-Impressionist has stuck with the artist over the past century. However, he participated in two of the first three exhibitions in the 1870s at which the group was named the Impressionists, and belonged to the same generation as Monet and Renoir. The lecture will ask how far Cézanne should be considered an Impressionist, focusing on three key issues in his art - his choice of subject matter, his use of the studio, and his brushwork. John House is the Walter H. Annenberg Professor at the Courtauld Institute of Art, London, and an authority on Impressionism.
Wednesday evening lecture - Velázquez and CinemaWednesday 13 December, 6.30pm, Sainsbury Wing Theatre. Geoff Andrew
Velázquez is renowned not only for the psychological depth and precision that distinguishes his many portraits, but also for his masterly depiction of light and for the highly original approach to composition in such later works as Las Meninas. This talk will explore the presence of these and other aspects of Velázquez's work in the films of Víctor Erice (see film season, page 43), Luis Buńuel and other directors of note. It will be illustrated by clips from a number of films and there will be time for discussion at the end.
Geoff Andrew is the Head of Film Programmes at the National Film Theatre, Contributing Editor to Time Out London and the author of numerous books on the cinema.
STUDY MORNING - Velázquez and ReligionSaturday 9 December, 10.30am-1pm, Sainsbury Wing Theatre.
This study morning is a collaboration with ACE (Art & Christianity Enquiry). We consider Velázquez's religious paintings and their significance, and more broadly religious life at this period in Spain. The session is introduced by Dawson Carr, curator of Velázquez, and speakers include David Jasper, from the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at the University of Glasgow, and Sara Nalle from William Paterson University, New Jersey. Includes coffee.
Free Events for Children and FamiliesDuring holiday workshop sessions a picnic room is available for all families in the Orange Street Education Centre.
Magic Carpet storytellingWednesday 27 to Saturday 30 December, 11.30am.
Join us on the magic carpet for a half-hour adventure as it comes to land in front of a different painting each day. for families with children under-5; no need to book but places are limited and allocated on arrival.
Family workshopsWednesday 27 December to Saturday 30 December, 11am, repeated 2pm.
Choose from two fun-filled practical art workshops led by contemporary artists. All children must be accompanied. No need to book, but please note that places are limited to the first 100 participants for each workshop - for families with children aged 5 to 11
Space travel:Journey through space and time to a secret world in this painting workshop with artist Matthew Burrows.
Pop goes the easel:Join us to meet some amazing angels and create your own 3D pop-up art. Mixed-media workshop with artist Mary Evans.
Second Weekend drawing event - Heavenly huesSaturday 9 and Sunday 10 December, 11.30am, repeated 2.30pm.
Let your imagination take flight with colourful wings and a choir of angels in this exciting drawing activity with artist Felicity Powell. These regular drawing events for families with children aged 5 to 11 are on the second weekend of the month, throughout the year. Sessions last one hour and all materials are provided; participants receive a free pencil to take away. Children must be accompanied.
Weekend gallery talksEvery Saturday and Sunday, 11.30am. Meet in the Education Centre Foyer
Themed children's tours of paintings exploring Feasts and Celebrations. No need to book.
Free EventsIn addition to the courses, workshops, lectures and other events detailed in this booklet, the National Gallery has free talks and tours every day.
Guided tours - every day at 11.30am and 2.30pm, plus 6pm and 6.30pm on Wednesdays, 12.30pm and 3.30pm on Saturdays.
Lunchtime talks - Tuesday to Saturday each week at 1pm. Tuesdays focus on the Room 1 exhibition, Dutch Winter Scenes, and other snowy scenes from the Collection; Three Saints days are celebrated on Wednesdays, and talks on Thursdays look at how artists have painted the Adoration of the Kings. Fridays are different: listen to a short talk on a painting then work with an artist to make your drawn response. Theatrical story-telling is the theme for talks on Saturdays.
Ten-Minute Talks - a quick insight into one painting, Monday to Friday at 4pm.
Picture in Focus - 25-minute talk on one painting, every Wednesday evening at 6pm.
Painting of the Month - a range of free talks at different times on one painting.
Art through Words - session for visitors with a visual impairment, last Saturday of the month, 11.30am.
British Sign Language-interpreted events take place on the first Saturday of every month.
For more information on any of the events listed above visit www.nationalgallery.org.uk.
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