CURRENT EXHIBITIONS

On view through May 9, 2010

Exhibition Sponsors: The Samuel H. Kress Foundation and
The Assisi Foundation of Memphis
With Additional Support from: The Doris and Hubert Kiersky Charitable Remainder Trust

Shipping Sponsor: FedEx Corporation
Education Programs Sponsor: The Thomas W. Briggs Foundation

Family Day Sponsor: Carrier Corporation

This exhibition is organized by the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art and the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, and is made possible in part by the Samuel H. Kress Foundation and The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation.

This exhibition is supported by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities.

Catalogue Sponsors: Sally and Wil Hergenrader and The Scheidt Family Foundation Children’s Gallery Sponsor: Knowledge Tree

Inspired by Giovanni Antonio Canaletto’s marvelous and expansive painting The Grand Canal from Campo di San Vio—a gift from the Samuel H. Kress Foundation to the Brooks Museum—this exhibition celebrates Venice’s last, and most opulent, artistic efflorescence. This period, which spans the 18th century, saw the city transformed into a glittering destination for wealthy European tourists on the Grand Tour. Venice’s exotic setting, gambling dens, grand pageants, and famous carnival season, were enhanced by its extraordinary cultural heritage. The era saw the emergence of not only Canaletto, but Gianbattista Tiepolo, Sebastiano Ricci, Giovanni Battista Piazzetta, Francesco Guardi, and Bernando Bellotto. Their paintings evocatively capture the decadence, splendor, and beauty of city that was known as the “Drawing Room of Europe.” A collaborative effort of the Brooks and the Ringling Museum in Sarasota, Florida, Venice in Canaletto's Age offers a rare look at sumptuous paintings, as well as prints, furniture, and textiles from the city’s golden age.

LEARN MORE

DOWNLOAD AUDIO TOUR here

Exhibition Catalogue is now available at the Museum Store
$54 for members; $60 for non-members

Canaletto (Giovanni Antonio Canal), 1697-1768
The Grand Canal from the Campo San Vio (det.), ca. 1740
Oil on canvas
Memphis Brooks Museum of Art
Gift of the Samuel H. Kress Foundation 61.216

On view through April 25, 2010

A set of twenty-six woodcuts by Josef Weisz (German, 1894-1969), The Apocalypse brings to life the prophetic and terrifying visions of the Biblical Book of Revelation. The series probably relates the artist’s experiences as a solider during the First World War.

Josef Weisz, German, 1894-1969
Plate IV, Devastation
Brought by the First Four Angels (Revelation 8:7-12)
from the series The Apocalypse, 1919
Woodcut
Memphis Brooks Museum of Art Purchase 47.926

Ex Libris: The Art of Ownership

On view through June 6, 2010

Printed bookplates, which have been in use since the 15th century, not only designate a book's owner, but also often reflect his or her status, occupation, and interests. This selection of bookplates from the permanent collection includes some extraordinary examples of the art form, produced in Europe and America, from the 18th to the 20th centuries.

Ottohans Beier (German, 1892 -1979).

Bookplate for Klara Krüger, 1922. 

Etching. 

Memphis Brooks Museum of Art; Gift of Louis P. Wulff  35.1.121