Contemporary Art Meets Old

At The Morgan October 12

 

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Parmigianino (1503–1540), “The Virgin Seated with Yard Winder, and the Infant Christ Embracing the Infant St John,” early 1520s. Red chalk on paper; framing line along lower edge in pen and brown ink, 8¼ by 6 inches. The Morgan Library & Museum, gift of J.P. Morgan Jr, 1924. — Joseph Zehavi photo

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Georg Baselitz (b 1938), “Divided Hero,” 1966–67, charcoal and wash on paper, 24 by 17 inches; collection of David Nolan and Carol Eckman. ©Georg Baselitz

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CONTEMPORARY ART MEETS OLD AT THE MORGAN OCT 12 w/2 cuts

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New York City — In an exhibition that links the old and new in unexpected ways, four renowned contemporary artists have chosen works from The Morgan Library & Museum’s collection of Old Master drawings to compare and contrast with works from their own hand.

“Drawing Connections: Baselitz, Kelly, Penone, Rockburne and the Old Masters” is on view at the Morgan October 12–January 6, and features Georg Baselitz (b 1938), Ellsworth Kelly (b 1923), Giuseppe Penone (b 1947) and Dorothea Rockburne (b 1932). The exhibit demonstrates not only what contemporary art owes to the art of the past but also how interpretation of earlier art is indebted to contemporary practices.

“We are delighted that these outstanding artists are participating in an exhibition unlike any other the Morgan has mounted,” said Charles E. Pierce Jr, director of The Morgan Library & Museum. “This show offers a fresh look at the intersection between contemporary art and the work of Old Masters from the perspective of great artists working today. It is truly a remarkable exhibition.”

“Drawing Connections” differs from other artist-curated shows in that it focuses on drawing. This medium presents a greater continuity through the ages than painting or sculpture, especially when considered from the point of view of the artists themselves. The exhibition includes about 50 works, half from the Morgan’s collection, and the other half on loan from the artists and New York private collections.

Each artist was given carte blanche to select seven or eight sheets from the Morgan’s collection of more than 12,000 drawings, ranging from Mantegna, Leonardo and Rembrandt, to Degas, Cézanne and Picasso. The contemporary works (six by each artist) were selected by the artists in collaboration with Isabelle Dervaux, curator of modern and contemporary drawings at the Morgan and the curator of the exhibition.

Of note is that artists as different as Baselitz and Rockburne have both chosen to focus on Sixteenth Century Italian mannerism. Baselitz, who has been collecting mannerist prints for many years, selected drawings by Parmigianino (1503–1540), an artist well represented in the Morgan collection.

Rockburne’s choice of Sixteenth Century Italian art relates to her interest in perspective and complex spatial structures. In the exhibition she pairs a contorted figure by Tintoretto (1518–1594) with a work from her 1970s “Conservation Class” series, generated by folding paper according to a mathematical rule.

In keeping with his own graphic production dominated by line drawing, Kelly selected Old Master drawings that present a clear linear emphasis and great economy of means. He favored preparatory sketches, which expose the artist’s methods and processes, over finished drawings.

Attracted to the act of drawing as the expression of a singular vision of the world, Penone organized his selections of drawings from the Morgan into three groups corresponding to three concepts relevant to his own work. Bridging geographical and chronological boundaries, his groups bring together, for instance, works by Mantegna (1431–1506), Dürer (1471–1528) and Perugino (1450–1523).

The exhibition is accompanied by a fully illustrated catalog.

The Morgan Library & Museum is at 225 Madison Avenue, at 36th Street. For information, 212-685-0008 or www.themorgan.org.