For Immediate Release
April 29, 2021 

CLARK ART INSTITUTE Presents a Conversation with Artist Abelardo Morell On the clichÉ-Verre technique in early photography 

Williamstown, Massachusetts—On Thursday, May 6, the Clark Art Institute presents a virtual talk between artist Abelardo Morell and Anne Leonard, Manton Curator of Prints, Drawings, and Photographs at the Clark. This free, virtual event will be presented over Zoom at 6 pm. Morell will discuss his work and his contemporary use of the cliché-verre technique with Leonard.

Among the few contemporary photographers working in cliché-verre, Abelardo Morell stands out. He says of his work in this medium, “The images that I’m most happy with are the result of multiple pressings and repeated inking which, to my eye, border on chaos. Making cliché-verre images gives me a welcome opportunity to play with painting and drawing in the most rudimentary way; as a photographer, it’s nice to be able to get my hands dirty.” 

This presentation is offered in conjunction with the Clark’s current exhibition, A Change in the Light: The Cliché-Verre in Nineteenth-Century France, on view in the Eugene V. Thaw Gallery for Works on Paper through May 16. The exhibition features forty-four prints by five French artists—Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, Charles-François Daubigny, Eugène Delacroix, Jean-François Millet, and Théodore Rousseau—and highlights the practice of cliché-verre, a hybrid process developed in the mid-nineteenth century, combining drawing and printmaking with the then-new medium of photography. 

Generous support for A Change in the Light: The Cliché-Verre in Nineteenth-Century France is provided by Denise Littlefield Sobel, with additional support from the Troob Family Foundation.

Advance registration for this event is required by noon on May 5. Registrants will receive an email with a private link to this live virtual program prior to the event. 

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, consisting of more than 275,000 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, which has a three-star rating in the Michelin Green Guide, is located at 225 South Street in Williamstown, Massachusetts. Its 140-acre campus includes miles of hiking and walking trails through woodlands and meadows, providing an exceptional experience of art in nature. Galleries are open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm. Admission is $20; free year-round for Clark members, children 18 and younger, and students with valid ID. Free admission is available through several programs, including First Sundays Free; a local library pass program; and EBT Card to Culture. For more information on these programs and more, visit clarkart.edu or call 413 458 2303. 

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