Sheldon's 'Unknown Blakelock' at National Academy Museum in New York
Presenting more than 40 paintings on view together for the first time, "The Unknown Blakelock," offers a grand vision of the work of Ralph Albert Blakelock (1847-1919), dispelling the image of the artist as a "mad genius" and demonstrating his influence on modern and contemporary artists.
(Media-Newswire.com) - Lincoln, Neb., October 1st, 2008 — "The Unknown Blakelock," an exhibition organized by the Sheldon Museum of Art at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, will be on view at the National Academy Museum and School of Fine Arts in New York City through Jan. 4.
Presenting more than 40 paintings on view together for the first time, "The Unknown Blakelock," offers a grand vision of the work of Ralph Albert Blakelock ( 1847-1919 ), dispelling the image of the artist as a "mad genius" and demonstrating his influence on modern and contemporary artists.
Loans from major museums across the country ( Corcoran Gallery of Art and Smithsonian Museum of American Art, Washington, D.C.; Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City; Denver Art Museum ) and private collections from Connecticut to California present a comprehensive view of the breadth and variety of Blakelock's work.
Known as a 19th-century tonalist painter, Blakelock has been historically associated with two dominant themes -- moonlight scenes and Indian encampments. Critics have largely overlooked the painter's broader accomplishments, which have been obscured by his tragic mental illness and numerous forgeries produced in his style. Modern art scholars, including Norman Geske, Sheldon director emeritus, in his recently published "Beyond Madness: The Art of Ralph Albert Blakelock," find a proto-modern vision in the artist's works and his influence on several generations of 20th-century painters.
This exhibition's more comprehensive view of Blakelock's work includes Western and Jamaican landscapes, shanty scenes, seascapes, still lifes and imaginary/fantasy compositions.
In 1969, Geske established the Nebraska Blakelock Inventory at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to analyze paintings attributed to the artist. His work inspired this exhibition. A gallery guide and an 80-page catalogue, "The Unknown Blakelock," accompany the exhibition.
The exhibition and publications are funded by the Henry Luce Foundation and the Wyeth Foundation for American Art, as well as Ameritas Charitable Foundation, the Nebraska Arts Council, Ethel S. Abbott Charitable Foundation, Friends of Norman Geske, the Geske Paris Travelers and the Sheldon Art Association. Visit the National Academy on-line at www.nationalacademy.org.
WHERE: National Academy Museum and School of Fine Arts, 1083 Fifth Avenue, New York City
Contacts: Thomas White, Marketing Manager, Sheldon Museum of Art, phone: ( 402 )472-1197
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