The Ages of the Sea
dal 25/10/2012 al 26/1/2013
Segnalato da
25/10/2012
The Ages of the Sea
Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Lisboa
One hundred and nine works created between the 16th and the 20th century originating from 51 institutions from 10 different countries will be presented to the public. The exhibition is based on an historical survey of the visual representation of the Sea and seeks to identify the major themes which led to its extensive and recurrent depiction in Western Painting.
The exhibition project, organized by the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum with the support of the Musée d’Orsay, is based on an historical survey of the visual representation of the Sea and seeks to identify the major themes which led to its extensive and recurrent depiction in Western Painting. The exhibition will develop the concept that provides the title to the project in six sections: ‘The Age of Myths’, ‘The Age of Power’, ‘Sea and Labour’, Turmoil at Sea’, ‘The Ephemeral’, and ‘The Quest for Infinity’.
Van Goyen, Lorrain, Turner, Constable, Friedrich, Courbet, Boudin, Manet, Monet, Signac, Fattori, Sorolla, Klee, De Chirico, Hooper are some of the eighty-eight authors present in the exhibition with works of extraordinary quality. Portuguese painting, through works by Henrique Pousão, Amadeo de Souza-Cardoso, João Vaz, Maria Helena Vieira da Silva and Menez, among others, will also contribute to this thorough and sometimes unexpected approach to such a fascinating subject.
The single work chosen for the prologue, Francesco Guardi’s Departure of the BucintoroThe , represents the ritual carried out every year in the city of Venice: the Doge’s crossing from the pier opposite his palace to a spot close to the church of San Nicolo di Lido, where he throws a gold ring, the symbol of the marriage between Venice and the sea, into the water.
This work presents and summarises the intentions of the exhibition. The union between the city and the sea, in a ritual act, acquires mythical value and reminds us of the task of mastering areas of the Mediterranean that has taken place since the age of Cretan civilization. It also publicly affirms Venetian maritime power, becomes a triumphal act of work and courage in the confrontation with the sea, and establishes the image as the eternal symbol of the Serenissima.
Press contact:
Sara Pais +351 217823266 spais@gulbenkian.pt
Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation
Av. Berna, 45A 1067-001 Lisbon
Opening Times:
Tuesday to Sunday: 10 a.m. to 5.45 p.m.
Closed on Mondays, and on the following holidays: January 1, Easter Sunday, May 1, and December 25
Tickets:
Museum (collection + temporary exhibition at the museum gallery): € 4
Temporary exhibitions outside the museum tour: €3 to € 5 (according to the exhibit)
PASS (access to all exhibition spaces inside the Foundation) € 8.00
2 museums + temporary exhibition gallery € 7