Exhibit illuminates art of Victorian age
"Masterworks of Victorian Art" depicts an era that transformed the British art world from a small group of artists who painted for nobility into a robust community of artists free to create paintings that depicted powerful stories from ancient history and contemporary life. Their art is noted for its richness of color and wealth of detail.
The private collection of Australian businessman and entrepreneur John H. Schaeffer is in the Warren and Alice Jones and Paul and Betty Boshard galleries on the museum's lower level.
It consists of paintings, sculpture and works on paper by such Victorian luminaries as William Holman Hunt, Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, John William Waterhouse and George Frederic Watts.
Many of these pieces have never been shown before in the United States.
"There is a storytelling aspect to these works that makes them interesting to nearly everyone, and they are painted with the most dazzling craftsmanship. Each one of these paintings is intriguing in some way," said curator Paul Anderson. "Beyond that, these works offer a window into an era of British history that is important to the development of our own history and culture. In this historical moment the beginning of the industrial world artists are trying to find a way to deal with the newness and complexities of modern life."
The museum has grouped the works into five themes: religious works, paintings depicting mythology, literature and history, paintings of everyday life, paintings by the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and works by other European artists.
Religious works depict biblical accounts or symbolic representations of religious ideas, while epic depictions of stories from mythology, literature and history were considered "high art" by some Victorian artists.
For example, the 9-foot-tall "Mariamne" by J.W. Waterhouse depicts the tragic story of Mariamne, the young wife of King Herod. She is pictured leaving his throne room after being sentenced to death based on false accusations of infidelity. Herod sits on his throne, torn between his love for his wife and his jealous fury. The painting captures the solemn drama of the occasion, with the innocent woman dressed in white silhouetted against the darkly sumptuous palace.
Paintings that depicted scenes from everyday life, called social realism, were considered "low art" at the time. Many of them contained overt critiques of contemporary life that still resonate in today's world.
A century ago the new modernist movement replaced Victorian art, which was then considered by many as overly sentimental, garish, cluttered and fussy. But the 1960s brought a re-emergence of Victorian art with it surfacing on calendars, note cards and book covers.
Recent comments
I went to the exhibit today and it is worth attending - certainly a...
DW | Feb. 25, 2008 at 7:53 p.m.
- Utahns among Texans' investors 10:45 p.m.
- RSL plays hardball, Yura stays put 10:44 p.m.
- Sports briefs 10:42 p.m.
- Utahn places fourth at swim meet 10:40 p.m.
- RSL looks to make a point tonight 10:38 p.m.
- Cash for Clunkers to get rolling soon 10:38 p.m.
- Women ski jumpers lose Olympic bid 10:36 p.m.
- The number: 47% 10:25 p.m.
- Priestley, wife have baby boy 10:23 p.m.
- Underwood concert for soldiers 10:21 p.m.
- LDS seminary principal arrested
- Jazz talking Boozer trade?
- Reactions on Boozer speculation
- Stadium of Fire flag burning was fake
- Blazers offer Millsap 4-year deal
- Jazz in back of line for free agents
- A primer for the 6th Potter film
- Okur signs two-year extension
- Jazz won't meet Lopez on Europe trip
- Restaurant destroyed by fire
- Letters: Palin mistreated
142 - Bronco collecting a galaxy of recruits
141 - Jazz talking Boozer trade?
136 - LDS seminary principal arrested
135 - Blazers may offer Millsap a contract
123 - Stadium of Fire flag burning was fake
94 - Fairness of BCS debated
81 - Blazers offer Millsap 4-year deal
77 - Chaffetz eyes challenging Bennett
74 - Letters: Single-payer system best
71
As more and more dads are put out of work in this economy, I've been...
The photographs are mysterious, brooding, dark. They show dimples and...
IF BOOZER AND MILSAP ARE WORTH 12.8 AND 8 MILLION A YEAR THEY HAVE TO BE...
I have an idea, lets tax the people who go to years and years of school and...
Your right borhter pratt is a good man but its still a crime that hurt more...
I hope everything goes well for the owner and the family and the employs god...
Just give you an example? Hows this: all of these social programs and huge...
Carron; now show us the right way on illegal aliens. You know what the...
Life in the "Land of the Free." Bush lied about wire taps. Bush believed our...
LOYAL, COACHABLE, 6'11", AT LEAST PUT SOME EFFORT INTO DEFENSE, ABILITY TO...
you think it is ethical to have a government run health system??? lets be...


