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Love Letters -a rare Dutch treat at the National Gallery of Ireland- |
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Press Release, 1st September 2003 The most important traveling exhibition of Dutch seventeenth century masterpieces ever to go on show in Dublin, entitled, "Love Letters-Dutch Genre Painting in the Age of Vermeer", opens in the Millennium Wing of the National Gallery of Ireland on Wednesday, 1 October, 2003. Organised by the National Gallery of Ireland and the Bruce Museum of Arts and Science in Connecticut, the exhibition brings together over forty masterpieces drawn from the great art museums of the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Great Britain, the United States of America, and from private collections throughout the world. The central theme of the exhibition is letter writing as a genre in its own right, first depicted in the works of the great Dutch artists of the seventeenth century. Among the masterpieces on display will be Vermeer's, 'A lady writing' from the National Gallery of Art, Washington and 'The love letter' from the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. The paintings of Vermeer and his contemporaries still hold their fascination today, not only because of their remarkable ability as painters, but also because they stir in the onlooker a curiosity to know more about the lives and emotions of their inhabitants. Also on view will be paintings by one of the greatest Dutch masters of the Golden Age, Gerard ter Borch, the artist who first popularized the letter theme. His painting of 'A woman writing a letter' (Royal Cabinet of Paintings, Mauritshuis, The Hague) is considered the "perfect embodiment of this elegant new treatment of the letter theme." Masterpieces by Johannes Vermeer and Gabriel Metsu from the National Gallery's own collection will be included in the exhibition. Dublin is the only European venue for this enchanting show before it travels to the USA, says Raymond Keaveney, Director of the National Gallery of Ireland. He adds that in an age when the personal letter has become almost extinct, this exhibition is a dazzling reminder of how the artist can depict the subtle range of human emotions affected by such a seemingly simple aspect of daily life. The Director acknowledged the generosity of all the lenders without whom the show would never have been realised. In a lavishly illustrated catalogue to the show, Dr. Peter Sutton, Executive Director of the Bruce Museum in Connecticut, and curator of the exhibition, says the leading Dutch masters of genre painting like Vermeer, Metsu, ter Borch, and de Hooch, produced wonderful images of people reading, writing, receiving and dispatching letters. Their paintings, "document for the first time in any culture the full range and power of letters not merely as an expression of ritualistic social interaction but as a highly personal form of communication delivering pleasure, pain and a full spectrum of emotion." One artist, he adds, who brought the subject of letter writing to classical perfection was Vermeer. "His world of letters is a feminine one, with women standing in the light reading letters alone with such hushed expectation that they seem to hold their breath." In addition to Peter Sutton's erudite introductory essay in the catalogue, there are contributions from Lisa Vergara ('Women, Letters, Artistic Beauty; Vermeer's Theme and Variations'), and Ann Jensen Adams ('Disciplining the Hand, Disciplining the Heart; Letter-Writing Paintings and Practices in seventeenth-century Holland'). Price €25, Gallery Shop. Tickets for the exhibition may be booked or purchased from Monday, 29 September, by telephone, 01-663 3513 or from the Gallery's Box Office in the Millennium Wing, Clare Street. In anticipation of a high demand to view this show, the National Gallery will be allocating timed-tickets only. Prices are €10, €6 (concessions), €23 (family rate: 2 adults, 3 children); children under 5 years, free. An Acoustiguide audio tour will be available for hire (€2) and a special lecture series 'Letter Writing in the Age of Vermeer' will take place throughout October (free). School tours of the exhibition may be booked in advance through the Education Department (01) 663 3510. Exhibition: 'Love Letters: Dutch Genre Painting in the Age of Vermeer' Venues:
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**An Post-Love Letter Stamp Issue **- in advance of the opening of the exhibition and as part of the Gallery's 150th anniversary celebrations in 2004, An Post will issue the second in a series of three stamp sets featuring works from the collection, among them Gabriel Metsu's 'Woman reading a letter' and 'A man writing a letter', both of which are included in the exhibition. These stamps will be available from An Post from 9 September 2003. Visit www.irishstamps.ie
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