Personal Collections At The Bruce Museum

GREENWICH — “A Very Personal Collection,” the first of a series of upcoming exhibitions at the Bruce Museum of Arts and Science that highlight private collections, will open on February 12 and then remain on view until March 27.

The exhibition features 56 outstanding works of 20th Century art in the main galleries of the museum. Reflective of a sophisticated and discriminating sensibility, the collection spans works from the early decades of the century — including Vanessa Bell’s 1913 painting of “The Model” and Guy Pene du Bois’s “Twentieth Century Youth” of the same year — to contemporary times, represented by artists such as Keith Haring, Lucien Freud, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Francis Bacon.

The owners of the artwork, who wish to remain anonymous, are dedicated collectors. They take the activity of collecting very seriously, finding a combination of joy, beauty and intellectual stimulus in the process.

“Collecting painting and sculpture is similar to inviting guests into your home,” they write in the introduction to the exhibition catalog. “Some are asked for their intellectual and sociological astuteness, others, as they are delightfully amusing, and still others for their sheer beauty. All, however, bring a high level of artistic integrity.”

Drawings and prints are a significant feature in this exhibition. In addition to pieces by Hockney and Basquiat, there are interesting charcoal and conté crayon drawings by Jan Yoors and Suzanne Valadin, Pablo Picasso’s untitled lithograph, a collage by Kurt Schwitters, and an evocative, photographically-based work by Catherine Feric. A pastel on paper by R.B. Kitaj (“The Messiah Watcher”) is another work of note.

The 80-page, color catalog that accompanies the exhibition features an essay by Herbert Lust, renowned for his writing on the graphic work of Alberto Giacometti.

The Bruce Museum of Arts and Science is at 1 Museum Drive in Greenwich. Museum hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 10 am to 5 pm; and Sunday 1 to 5 pm. Last entry is 4:30 pm.

General admission is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and students, and free for children age 5 and under. An additional fee may is sometimes charged for select exhibitions, and admission is free to all on Tuesdays (with the exception being the special exhibitions; call the museum for details). Groups of 12 or more require advance reservations.

Museum exhibition tours are held Fridays at 12:30 pm.

The museum is accessible to the handicapped.

For information, call The Bruce Museum at 203-869-0376 or visit www.BruceMuseum.org.