CLARK ART INSTITUTE PRESENTS FREE LECTURE ON ART, POWER, AND POLITICS

Lecture to be held at Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center
Immediate Release
July 1, 2016

Williamstown, MA—Learn the histories of paintings by Titian, Peter Paul Rubens, Guercino, and others during a free lecture presented by the Clark Art Institute entitled “Art, Power, and Politics: Nudes from the Prado” at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center on Thursday, July 14 at 7 pm. The Mahaiwe is located at 14 Castle Street, Great Barrington, Massachusetts.
Clark Interim Curator of Paintings and Sculpture Lara Yeager-Crasselt explores the interplay of art, power, and politics in the Renaissance and Baroque worlds and discusses the Clark’s exhibition Splendor, Myth, and Vision: Nudes from the Prado. The collecting and display of paintings of the nude in the Spanish Royal Collections, housed today in the Museo Nacional del Prado, have a fascinating and complex history—commissioned by some monarchs with a passion for collecting and sequestered in salas reservadas (hidden or private displays) by others. Centuries later, the nude continues to evoke powerful responses—from censorship to celebrated acceptance.
Splendor, Myth, and Vision: Nudes from the Prado is on view at the Clark through October 10, 2016.

ABOUT THE CLARK
The Clark Art Institute, located in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts, is one of a small number of institutions globally that is both an art museum and a center for research, critical discussion, and higher education in the visual arts. Opened in 1955, the Clark houses exceptional European and American paintings and sculpture, extensive collections of master prints and drawings, English silver, and early photography. Acting as convener through its Research and Academic Program, the Clark gathers an international community of scholars to participate in a lively program of conferences, colloquia, and workshops on topics of vital importance to the visual arts. The Clark library, with more than 240,000 volumes, is one of the nation’s premier art history libraries. The Clark also houses and co-sponsors the Williams College Graduate Program in the History of Art.

The Clark is located at 225 South Street in Williamstown, Massachusetts. Galleries are open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm; open daily in July and August. Admission is $20; free year-round for Clark members, children 18 and younger, and students with valid ID. For more information, visit clarkart.edu or call 413 458 2303.

Press contact:
413 458 0471
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