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CMA Presents Great Expectations
December 13, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
December 1, 2007
MEDIA CONTACT: Nancy Colvin, 614-629-0303
COLUMBUS MUSEUM OF ART PRESENTS
GREAT EXPECTATIONS:
ARISTOCRATIC CHILDREN IN EUROPEAN PORTRAITURE
(Columbus, OH) – The Columbus Museum of Art presents Great Expectations: Aristocratic Children in European Portraiture, the first major exhibition of Old Master works CMA has shown in nearly a decade. On view February 15 through June 8, 2008, the selection of 40 paintings in this exhibition is drawn exclusively from the unique and world-renowned collection of the Fundación Yannick y Ben Jakober in Mallorca, Spain. The most fascinating aspect of this collection is the glimpse it provides into the childhood of some of the most noteworthy figures in history.
Richly detailed and beautifully executed, the portraits bring to life:
The Sun King Louis XIV of France, whose seventy-two year reign remains the longest of any major European monarch.
Czar Paul I of Russia, the only legitimate son of Catherine the Great, who was succeeded by his son Alexander I after his late night assassination in his bedroom in the newly built St. Michael’s Castle.
Edward VI who ascended the throne at the age of nine following the death of his infamous father Henry VIII. Few portraits exist of the young monarch, largely due to his untimely death of tuberculosis at the age of 16.
“This is a rare treat to be able to present this selection of fascinating portraits from the Jakober Foundation,” said Dominique H. Vasseur, CMA curator of European art. “It’s easy to forget that such powerful people as the Kings of France and the Czars of Russia were once innocent children whose mark history had yet to make on them.”
These portraits of children and adolescents open a window onto a fascinating world that has long passed. Infants, tightly swaddled like mummies, lie in ornate cradles. Toddlers, dressed as miniature adults, wear plumed hats and brocade dresses trimmed in fine lace. It is sometimes difficult to differentiate the sexes, as boys wear skirts until the age of seven. Many children are burdened with rich and heavy jewelry, including the amulets that were believed to protect them from harm. While many of these children are burdened with the trappings of their illustrious families and histories, some are accompanied by their favorite pet, a feature that brings warmth and familiarity to these special children
Related Programs
Big Picture Lecture
Thursday, February 28
7:00 pm
Image and Reality: Children and Childhood in European History
OSU Department of History Professor Birgitte Soland presents a talk reflecting on the exhibition Great Expectations. A reception follows the lecture. Admission is free. Presented in collaboration with Institute for Collaborative Research and Public Humanities at The Ohio State University
Dirk Wittenborn
Sunday, March 9
2:00 pm
This author and screenwriter discusses the lives of children of the super rich, as chronicled in the Emmy-nominated, Wittenborn-produced HBO documentary Born Rich. The show’s director, Jamie Johnson, is heir to Johnson & Johnson and is Wittenborn’s nephew. Wittenborn authored the novel Fierce People, recently adapted as a major motion picture, and also has written for Saturday Night Live.
Playful Portraits Family Sunday
Sunday, April 6
1:00 – 4:00 pm
For Families with children ages 6 and older
Savor this fanciful afternoon of portraits, extravagant dress and art-making fun! Imagine living in another place and time in the exhibition, Great Expectations: Aristrocratic Children in European Portraiture. Bring your family to be photographed in regal attire, then create an ornate, gilded picture frame. At 2:00 pm delight in a courtly concert with ProMusica Chamber Orchestra. At 3:30 pm laugh out loud with the Columbus Children’s Theatre performance of The Emperor’s New Clothes.
No registration requested. Free
Doodles
March 2008
Saturdays
1:00 – 3:00 pm
For families with children ages 6 and older
You’ll feel like royalty as you gaze into the decorative mirror you create after checking out the exhibition Great Expectations: Aristocratic Children in European Portraiture.
No registration requested. Free with Museum Admission
1st Saturdays
Saturday, April 5, 2008
10:00 am– 12:30 pm
For families with children ages 3 – 8
Check out elaborate child portraits in the exhibition Great Expectations: Aristocratic Children in European Portraiture. Create family collage portraits with Mylar, fabric, ribbon, buttons and lace. At 11:00 am get ready for laughs with the Shakespeare in a Box fast and furious production, Shrew-a-GoGo.
No registration requested. Free with Museum Admission.
Great Expectations was organized by The Yannick and Ben Jakober Foundation, Mallorca, Spain. Tour organized by the Trust for Museum Exhibitions, Washington, D.C. Ohio Magazine, Columbus Parent and This Week Community News are the Media Sponsors for Great Expectations.
The Columbus Museum of Art creates great experiences with great art for everyone. The Columbus Foundation, the Greater Columbus Arts Council, and the Ohio Arts Council provide ongoing support. The Museum and the Museum Shop are open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 am to 5:30 pm and until 8:30 pm every Thursday. The Palette Café is open for lunch Tuesday through Sunday from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm. Museum admission is $6 for adults; $4 for seniors and students 6 and over; and free for members, children 5 and under, and everyone on Sunday. For additional information, call 614-221-4848 or visit www.columbusmuseum.org.
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