For Immediate Release
July 26, 2023
CLARK ART INSTITUTE PRESENTS OPENING LECTURE FOR PRINTED RENAISSANCE
Williamstown, Massachusetts—On Saturday, July 29, in conjunction with the opening of Printed Renaissance, the Clark Art Institute hosts a lecture by Yuefeng Wu, graduate student curator of the exhibition. The lecture is presented in the Clark’s auditorium at 11 am.
When Italian Renaissance artists such as Raphael Sanzio, Michelangelo Buonarroti, and Andrea Mantegna were laboring in their studios around the year 1500, they could not have imagined how printed images and texts would shape the reception of their art in centuries to come. With the proliferation of printed matter in early modern Europe, the demand for accessible printed images grew, and a vibrant culture of art criticism arose, which together forged a collective narrative of Italian art.
Filled with lush illustrations, Printed Renaissance explores the relationship between art writing and graphic reproduction, books, and prints in Italy between 1500 and 1800. Just as with reprints of texts, enterprising publishers retouched and reprinted copperplates and woodblocks for later collectors—demonstrating both a market interest in art of the past and a more broadly developing consciousness of a history of art. The exhibition includes more than thirty prints drawn from the Clark’s extensive holdings of works on paper.
Free; no registration required. For more information, visit clarkart.edu/events.
Printed Renaissance is organized by the Clark Art Institute and curated by Yuefeng Wu, 2022 graduate of the Williams Graduate Program in the History of Art.
Generous support for Printed Renaissance is provided by the Malcolm Hewitt Wiener Foundation.
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 some 300,000 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, from September through June, and daily in July and August. Admission is free January through March and is $20 from March through December; admission is free year-round for Clark members, all visitors age 21 and under, and students with a valid student ID. Free admission is also available through several programs, including First Sundays Free; a local library pass program; and EBT Card to Culture. For information on these programs and more, visit clarkart.edu or call 413 458 2303.
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