October 9, 1936: An exhibition entitled “Four Centuries of Portraiture in Prints” will open in the Print Galleries the Brooklyn Museum on October 10 and will be on display until December 6. The exhibit has been arranged by Mr. Carl O. Schniewind, Curator of Prints and Drawings of the Museum.
The one hundred and twenty-five prints, which will be chronologically arranged, include portraits of many famous persons: kings, queens, statesmen, writers, artists, and others, covering a period from c. 1490 to c. 1925. Among the artists whose work is shown are: G. Bellows, Cezanne, Daumier, Degas, Durer, Gauguin, H. Goltzius, Ingres, Manet, Matisse, Nanteuil, Picasso, Rembrandt, Rodin, Rouault, Toulouse-Lautrec, A. Van Dyck, Van Gogh, I. Van Mockenem, Whistler, and many others.
The exhibition is composed of prints lent by Dr. Sam P. Bailey, George W. Davidson, Kennedy and Co., Weyho Gallery, M. Knoodler and Co., Julien Levy Galleries, Frederick Koppel and Co., M.A. McDonald, and of other prints from the Brooklyn Museum Collection.
Before the middle of the nineteenth century, portraits in prints, especially of prominent persons like kings and queens, were made for a large circulation, just as photographs are today. After 1850, when the art of photography was perfected, portrait prints rapidly declined in popularity. Print manufacturers were practically ruined and portrait prints artists saw the decline of their business. Other artists then took up the making of portrait prints in the impressionistic style of the period. Classic forms of composition which portrayed physical likenesses were abandoned; analytical, emotional portrait prints had their beginning and have endured to the present time. The two styles of prints - classic and impressionistic, are well shown in the exhibit, as well as several examples of early portrait photography.
The prints on exhibit have been carefully selected for exceptional quality of impression. Many rare items are shown. In addition to the prints, portrait sculpture by Daumier, Lachaise, Rudolf Bolling, Picasso and Despiau has been installed in the Print Gallery to illustrate the work in this medium of artists celebrated as print makers.
Eight rare fifteenth century German woodcuts have been placed on exhibition in the Gallery of Medieval Art at the Brooklyn Museum. All are color prints of exceptionally fine quality, and most are probably unique impressions. Two are from the famous Oppenheimer Collection. The Man of Sorrows (Swabian, German, c. 1480—1500) was printed by rubbing and is probably a unique impression. It bears a monogram A, but the artist to whom this monogram belonged has not been identified. Four pages cut from “Die Wallfahrt unserer lieben Frau” (The Pilgrimage of Our Lady), depict scenes from the life of Christ. This book was published at Ulm, February 16, 1487, by Johann Reger. In each print three scenes are arranged in narrow registers one above each other within an ornamental design. The scenes are as follows: on plate (a) the raising of Jairus’ daughter, the entrance into Jerusalem, Judas’ pact with the priests; on plate (b) Christ Crowned with thorns, Christ before Pilate, Christ bearing the cross; on plate (c) Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph meeting three disciples on Easter; the mocking of Christ, the flagellation of Christ; on plate (d) Christ’s descent into Limbo, the Resurrection, Christ dictating the Gospel to St. John. On the print of St. Anne, the Virgin and Child, School of Strassbourg, c. 1490- 1500, the coloring was done with the help of stencils. This is probably a unique impression, The two prints from the Henry Oppenheimer Collection are: St Catherine and the Emperor, South German, c. 1480, and St. George and the Dragon, School of Nuremberg, ca. 1480. Both impressions are probably unique. The eight prints were lent to the Brooklyn Museum by courtesy of B. Kennedy and Co.
Brooklyn Museum Archives. Records of the Department of Public Information. Press releases, 1931 - 1936. 07-09_1936, 129-30.
Date unknown, approximately 1936: Continuing at the Brooklyn Museum are several recently installed exhibitions of unusual interest. That of six American Artists - Alexander Brook, Guy Pene du Bois, Leon Kroll, Charles Sheeler and John Sloan (painters) and John Flanagan (sculptor) - occupies the larger portion of the Special Exhibition Galleries on the First Floor, while in an additional gallery held in reserve preparatory work is being pushed for the coming exhibition of the Rayon and Synthetic Yarn Industries scheduled for December 12. In the New Accessions Room, which forms the entrance to these galleries, recently purchased Egyptian antiquities include several very rare and beautiful pieces of sculpture. In the Print Galleries a large and carefully selected exhibition of Four Centuries of Portraiture in Prints offers both the amateur and the connoisseur an unusual opportunity to survey this subject and make comparisons. Adjoining the Main Entrance Hall is the American Federation of Arts travelling exhibition of the Art of the Dance in Photograph, assembled and sponsored by the Brooklyn Museum and shown there for the first time. The eighty six photographs represent dancers in action of all styles and are the work of twenty five photographers. Among the celebrated dancers depicted are Pavlowa, Mordkin, Nijinsky, Duncan, St. Denis, Wigman, Helm, Graham, Kreutzberg, Weidman, La Argentina, Escudoro, Haakon, Georgi, Shawn, Schoop, The Ballet Russo de Monte Carlo, The American Ballet of the Metropolitan Opera House and The Joos Ballet.
The silver of the Cruiser Brooklyn will be taken off exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum the end of this week.
The exhibitions mentioned above will close on the following dates: Six American Artists, November 29; Rayon and Synthetic Yarn Industries, January 25; recently purchased Egyptian antiquities, November 22; Four Centuries of Portraiture in Prints, December 6; The Art of the Dance in Photograph, November 29.
Brooklyn Museum Archives. Records of the Department of Public Information. Press releases, 1931 - 1936. 07-09_1936, 138.
