For Immediate Release
July 25, 2023
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CLARK ART INSTITUTE EXHIBITION EXPLORES
ITALIAN RENAISSANCE PRINTS THROUGH
ITS EXTENSIVE ART AND LIBRARY HOLDINGS
Printed Renaissance was curated by a student in the Williams College/Clark Graduate Program in the History of Art
(Williamstown, Massachusetts)—Filled with lush printed copies after admired works of Renaissance art , the Clark Art Institute’s newest exhibition Printed Renaissance explores the relationship between art writing and graphic reproduction in Italy between 1500–1800. Beginning in the lifetimes of figures such as Andrea Mantegna (1431–1506), Raphael Sanzio (1483–1520), and Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475–1564), engravers and woodcutters made what came to be called “reproductive prints” after their most popular works. Just as with multiple editions of texts, enterprising print publishers retouched and reissued copperplate and woodblock images for later collectors—demonstrating both a market interest in art of the past and a more broadly developing consciousness of a history of art. Printed Renaissance includes more than thirty prints and nine books drawn from the Clark’s extensive holdings of works on paper and the Clark library. The exhibition is on view in the Eugene V. Thaw Gallery of the Clark’s Manton Research Center from July 29, 2023 through October 22, 2023.
“These exceptional prints and books are rarely shown, thus it’s a unique moment to be able to share so many of these works of art in such a fascinating exhibition,” said Olivier Meslay, Hardymon Director of the Clark. “We are extraordinarily proud of the of the curator, Yuefeng Wu, who developed the concept for this exhibition while he was a student in the Williams College/Clark Graduate Program in the History of Art. His impressive insights into the art objects included in Printed Renaissance provide a unique lens through which to learn about the role printmaking played in Italy during this time period.”
“The early edition books and prints in this exhibition show us where the broader interest in the history of art began--in the hands of early modern art lovers poring over copies of famous Renaissance masterpieces, perusing art treatises, and discussing them with friends and fellow enthusiasts,” said exhibition curator Yuefeng Wu. “By partaking in that activity of appreciating and chatting about art in front of printed copies, we are afforded a privileged view into the past of art history, as well as an important opportunity to reflect on its present. ” Wu graduated from the master’s degree program in 2022 and worked with Anne Leonard, Manton Curator of Prints, Drawings, and Photographs, to develop the exhibition.
ABOUT THE EXHIBITION
Printmaking—the art of producing multiple images by carving the surface of a copperplate or a woodblock—became an important tool for copying the works of notable artists during the Italian Renaissance. Meanwhile, humanist writers discussed different artists’ merits and their contributions to the history of art. With the proliferation of books and prints, there developed a widespread demand for graphic material and a vibrant culture of art criticism, which together forged a canon of artists and fundamentally shaped how Europeans viewed and understood Italian art in the centuries to come.
This exhibition brings together reproductive prints copied after celebrated Renaissance artists and printed books that discuss their lives and works, so as to understand the impact of printmaking on these artists’ long-lasting reputation and reception. The objects on view show how print and book publishers from the 1500s on engaged with the Italian artistic tradition, and how they actively contributed to the making of that tradition by publishing art criticism, reissuing historical prints, and commissioning new graphic reproductions. Gathered together, these works trace out the nascent idea of Italian Renaissance art and the growing sense of its historical development, which laid the early modern foundation for the viewing of art and discussion of art history in modern-day museums and universities.
THE BURGEONING DISCOURSE
Fostered by the growing industry of the printed book, discourse and interest in the visual arts had significantly increased by around 1550, and many writers began publishing their views on the philosophy, history, and criticism of art. Meanwhile, an industry of professional print workshops gradually emerged, having amassed large inventories of engraved plates after contemporary and historical paintings. A landmark in these developments was Michelangelo’s painting of the Last Judgment in the Sistine Chapel, Rome, which received much critical attention and was copied by many printmakers.
In the second half of the century, prints made after notable works of art were published and reissued on an unprecedented scale. This increasing circulation of text and image greatly facilitated the collecting of graphic material and enabled widespread discussions of major works.
THE CARRACCI ADMIRERS
In 1595, Annibale Carracci (1560–1609) arrived in Rome, where he led a team of fresco painters in decorating a splendid room in the Farnese Palace known as the Farnese Gallery. The Farnese commission, particularly the ceiling, soon came to be perceived as an unrivaled fresco masterpiece. Carracci died shortly after the project’s completion, leaving behind an active group of followers who carried forth his artistic legacy. From the 1650s on, enterprising engravers, publishers, and critics in support of Carracci’s art collaborated to produce several editions of print series that visualized the entire Farnese Gallery. These prints were annotated with thematic explanations and brought Carracci’s monumental fresco from a grand private palace within the reach of individuals, who collected and often bound them into books. A copy by Pietro Aquila (c. 1650–1692), from the Clark library, includes twenty-five loose-leaf prints that can be variously collated and displayed to show the Farnese Gallery’s walls and vaulted ceiling.
CONTESTING THE CANON
From the sixteenth century on, the proliferation of prints and books encouraged artists and writers to discuss and debate the history of the visual arts in Italy. At the forefront of these debates was Giorgio Vasari (1511–1574), whose narrative on Italian Renaissance art has become a foundational historical view of art and gave rise to an artistic canon in the collective memory of European culture. Vasari advanced an influential argument that the art of the Renaissance started and progressed in Florence before reaching its height in Rome with Raphael and Michelangelo. For centuries, this view of Italian art, centered on Florence and Rome, has persisted in Western society, where prints and books circulated on an unprecedented scale. Many writers outside Florence and Rome challenged what they perceived as Vasari’s biased opinion, and artists from other parts of Italy also looked to their own traditions to learn, understand, and reclaim the diversity of Italian art. As a forum of art-historical discussion, printed texts and images have continued to nourish this competitive discourse, in which an artistic canon is slowly formed and repeatedly contested.
RELATED EVENTS
Exhibition curator Yuefeng Wu delivers a free lecture on the exhibition on Saturday, July 29 at 11 am in the Clark’s auditorium.
Details on public programs are available at clarkart.edu/events.
Printed Renaissance is organized by the Clark Art Institute and curated by Yuefeng Wu, 2022 graduate of the Williams College/Clark 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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