For Immediate Release
February 11, 2022
CLARK ART INSTITUTE PRESENTS LECTURE ON INTIMATE COLOR PRINTS TO CLOSE HUE & CRY: FRENCH PRINTMAKING AND THE DEBATE OVER COLORS
Williamstown, Massachusetts—Mary Weaver Chapin, curator of prints and drawings at the Portland Art Museum, Portland, Oregon, presents a special talk on the print portfolios of key leaders of the Nabis artistic movement, who played a central role in the late nineteenth-century transition from Impressionism to early modernism. Her talk, “Intimate Color: The Print Portfolios of Bonnard, Vuillard, and Denis, 1899,” will be broadcast live via Zoom and Facebook Live on Sunday March 6, at 2 pm.
Chapin’s lecture marks the final day of the Clark’s presentation of Hue & Cry: French Printmaking and the Debate Over Colors. In 1899, art dealer and print enthusiast Ambroise Vollard published lithographic suites by Pierre Bonnard, Edouard Vuillard, and Maurice Denis. Each album consisted of twelve lithographs plus a cover, and each was issued in an edition of 100. In contrast to audacious scenes of nightlife by Toulouse-Lautrec or the bold public posters of Jules Chéret, these artists used color lithography to explore the private interior, family life, and intimate glimpses of the city. Ranging from deep, saturated color to the faintest whisper of ink on paper, the Vollard albums demonstrate the wide range of tone that artists used to evoke emotion and subjective responses in the viewer and are generally considered to be among the finest examples of color lithography from the period. Hue & Cry features a remarkable presentation of the complete portfolios of work made by each of the three artists.
Exploring the surprising but steady opposition to printed color in nineteenth-century France, Hue & Cry also showcases the Clark’s extraordinary holdings of French color prints by artists including Mary Cassatt, Paul Cézanne, Jules Chéret, Camille Pissarro, and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.
Advance registration is required to view the Zoom transmission. Registrants will receive an email with a private Zoom link before the event. The event will also be broadcast via Facebook Live. For more information and to register, visit clarkart.edu/events.
Hue & Cry: French Printmaking and the Debate over Colors is made possible by Denise Littlefield Sobel. The exhibition is organized by the Clark Art Institute and curated by Anne Leonard, Manton Curator of Prints, Drawings, and Photographs.
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 285,000 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 10 am to 5 pm Tuesday through Sunday and daily in July and August. Advance timed tickets are required. Admission is $20; free year-round for Clark members, all visitors age 21 and under, and students with a valid student 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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