December 10 - July 9, 2023
From the organizers:
“The Blanton Museum of Art at The University of Texas at Austin presents Medieval X Modern, an exhibition that explores modern artists’ fascination with the Middle Ages, opening December 10, 2022, in the museum’s Paper Vault galleries.
Medieval X Modern (pronounced: Medieval by Modern) showcases 19th- and 20th-century works by artists across Europe and the Americas, from prints and drawings to paintings, illustrated books, sculptures, and decorative objects, that are influenced by the styles and subjects of medieval art and architecture. Paired with medieval objects, the modern works in the exhibition show a renewed interest in the craftmanship and mediums associated with the Middle Ages, such as illuminated manuscripts, stained glass, and woodcut printmaking, as well as the era’s compelling figures and tales. Many artists portrayed martyrs and saints, from Joan of Arc to Catherine of Alexandria; major works of medieval literature, notably Dante’s Divine Comedy and Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales; and legends, like the sword of Charlemagne, reinterpreting them for the modern age. Others revived an interest in Gothic architecture, exemplified by Ellsworth Kelly’s studies for the stained-glass windows that would later become the “tumbling squares” in his iconic Austin.
Drawn primarily from the Blanton’s collection, Medieval X Modern includes exemplary medieval works alongside works by Kelly, Marc Chagall, Robert Rauschenberg, Clare Leighton, among many other modern artists who turned to the Middle Ages for inspiration. Created during a time characterized by increased industrialization, war, and political change, the artworks reveal ideals and anxieties of the modern age.”
Conversation: December 14, 2022 | 12–1 pm
Curated Conversations: Mad About Medieval!
Martin Luther King at Congress
Austin, 78701 TX
(512) 471-7324
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