For Immediate Release
October 2, 2024
CLARK ART INSTITUTE HOSTS TALK BY PULITZER
PRIZE-WINNER AND THE WASHINGTON POST
ART CRITIC SEBASTIAN SMEE
Williamstown, Massachusetts—On October 30 at 6 pm, the Clark Art Institute hosts a special appearance by Pulitzer Prize-winner Sebastian Smee, art critic for The Washington Post, as he introduces his new book Paris in Ruins: Love, War, and the Birth of Impressionism.
From the summer of 1870 to the spring of 1871 Paris and its people were besieged, enduring bloody street battles, the burning of central Paris, and widespread starvation. It was against the backdrop of these tumultuous times that the Impressionist art movement was born―in response to violence, civil war, and political intrigue.
Smee tells the story of those dramatic days through the eyes of the leading figures of Impressionism. At the heart of it all is a love story between artists Édouard Manet and Berthe Morisot, as Smee poignantly depicts their complex relationship, their tangled effect on each other, and their great legacy, while bringing overdue attention to the woman at the heart of Impressionism. In the aftermath of the conflict, these artists all developed a newfound sense of the fragility of life. That feeling for transience―reflected in Impressionism’s emphasis on fugitive light, shifting seasons, glimpsed street scenes, and the impermanence of all things―became the movement’s great contribution to the history of art.
Free. Accessible seats available; for information, call 413 458 0524. A book signing follows the talk. Copies of Paris in Ruins will be available for purchase at the talk and in the Museum Store. For more information, visit clarkart.edu/events.
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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