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March 2010
MET NEWS
Curator Interview
Women's History Month
For Families
What's Your Met Moment?
Medieval Art
Sundays at the Met
Dear Subscriber,
Let the Metropolitan Museum be your source of inspiration this March, whether you choose to attend a Women's History Month program, learn about medieval art, introduce your family to the Met's collection, or revisit works by a favorite artist.
Image: Mitjili Napurrula (Australian, Pintupi people, born ca. 1945). Watiya-Tjuta, 1999. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Private Collection. © The artist 2009, licensed by Aboriginal Artists Agency
Curator Interview: Featured Work of Art
The Horse Fair is a 16-foot-wide masterwork by French artist Rosa Bonheur. Rebecca Rabinow, associate curator in the Department of Nineteenth-Century, Modern, and Contemporary Art, recently spoke with Met News editor Jennette Mullaney about this popular painting.
The Horse Fair became one of the most celebrated works of the 19th century. What made it such a success?
When this painting was first exhibited in the Salon of 1853, the public was awed by its dynamism and energy. One art critic wrote the he had to suppress the urge to jump out of the way of the running horses. As you can see, the horses are almost life-size and beautifully painted. It may be difficult to imagine now, but at that time, animals--horses, cattle, sheep--were popular subject matter, and Bonheur was recognized as one of the best animal painters of her generation. It always surprises me when I read contemporary reviews of The Horse Fair because most of them mention the artist's gender: "It would be a remarkable painting if it had been by a man, but it is extraordinary because it is by a woman," that kind of remark. For better or worse, the gender of the artist added to the painting's cachet.
Bonheur retouched the canvas in 1855 (which is why she added the number "5" after the date on the lower right) and sold it to a British art dealer who exhibited it throughout England. Queen Victoria even requested that it be brought to Buckingham Palace for a private viewing. Images were not as widely available as they are today, so it is noteworthy that the etchings made after the painting were widely dispersed in Europe and America. The Horse Fair has been one of our most popular paintings ever since Cornelius Vanderbilt purchased it for the Met in 1887.
Continue reading the interview.
Image: Rosa Bonheur (French, 1822-1899). The Horse Fair, 1853-55. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Gift of Cornelius Vanderbilt, 1887 (87.25).
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Audio Guide
Listen to Assistant Curator of Japanese Art Sinéad Kehoe, in conversation with Senior Research Associate Masako Watanabe, discuss objects in the exhibition Five Thousand Years of Japanese Art: Treasures from the Packard Collection in the accompanying Audio Guide.
Women's History Month
"At last, a woman on paper!" photographer Alfred Stieglitz supposedly exclaimed after seeing works by Georgia O'Keeffe. From O'Keeffe's innovative paintings to "Coco" Chanel's bold designs to Beauty Nxgongo's masterful baskets, the contributions of women artists span genres, mediums, and cultures. Celebrate these accomplishments by attending special programs, exploring the Museum's online resources, or touring the galleries with an eye out for works created by women.
Gallery Talks
Throughout the month, scholars will be giving gallery talks that focus on women in art. Learn about the lives of women in the Middle Ages through contemporary imagery; compare the depictions of women by Impressionists, including Mary Stevenson Cassatt and Berthe Morisot; or trace the development of female images in the art of South Asia. See the Met's calendar for a full listing of gallery talks being held in conjunction with Women's History Month.
Films
Enjoy the following films that profile pioneering women:
The Lost Garden: The Life and Cinema of Alice Guy-Blaché (1995)
Tuesday, March 16, at 2:00 p.m.
Invitation to a Voyage: Eileen Gray, Designer and Architect (2007)
Thursday, March 18, at 2:00 p.m.
Sunday at the Met--Playing with Pictures: The Art of Victorian Photocollage
March 7 at 2:00 p.m.
Aristocratic Victorian women experimented with photocollage, creating whimsical and fantastical compositions that sparkle with intellect, creativity, and sharp wit. This lecture event is being held in conjunction with the special exhibition Playing with Pictures: The Art of Victorian Photocollage.
Programs for Children
Visitors ages five through twelve Look Again! to unlock the history, meaning, and cross-cultural connections of works of art. "Women Make Their Mark," "Think 'Woman'," and "Women of the Ancient World" are among this month's topics.
From the Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History
Explore a wealth of scholarship about women artists on
