The Paper's Editorial Board of Art Review
If you go back to the end of 2019 and open the global exhibition plan for the new year, it feels like a year full of hope and expectation: when people began to look forward to the 500-year exhibition of the Renaissance master Raphael; when the Forbidden City announced a series of special exhibitions for the 600th anniversary of the Forbidden City, when the "Jian Zhen" carried the cultural relics of Nara Tang Zhaoti Temple docked on the North Bund in Shanghai; when the "500Th Anniversary of Leonardo da Vinci's Death Special Exhibition" opened at the Louvre Inc. in France, when the Los Angeles County Museum of Art announced the preparation of a ten-year special exhibition of Qiu Ying, in Tokyo, When people are looking forward to the cherry blossoms in Ueno Park, the "sunflowers" from London bloom at the Western Art Museum...
however......
A sudden epidemic disrupted the rhythm of the entire world, art venues opened and closed for an unprecedented time, exhibitions were unprecedentedly intermittent, in the physical isolation of people and regions, those exhibitions that had been prepared for many years and should have shone brightly, but spent time in the venues with lights out, the world ushered in 2021 in a stumbling, although the future is still unpredictable, but the power of art and the reflection brought by art are becoming more and more intense.
The major art exhibitions affected by the epidemic in 2020, as inventoried by the "Www.thepaper.cn", although they are not timely, it can be firmly believed that all the persistence and perseverance have been recorded, and have always inspired and warmed people's hearts, and the greatness of art and the greatness of humanities have never been – and will never be covered up.
The public wore masks to the museum
Raphael: 1520-1483
Venue: Museo Quirinale, Rome
On March 5, 2020, the 500th anniversary of the death of Renaissance giant Raphael opened, and only 3 days later, it was closed due to the epidemic. The exhibition, which brings together more than 200 authentic works of Raphael-related paintings, manuscripts and other works collected by 52 museums and other art institutions, is considered the largest Raphael exhibition. The sum insured is up to 4 billion euros, and more than 70,000 tickets have been pre-sold before the exhibition.
At the opening of the exhibition in early March, the audience wearing a mask visited the exhibition "Raphael, 1520-1483"
The exhibition rearranges the timeline of the usual Raphael exhibitions, proposing a quest that traces Raphael's journey from Rome to Florence, to Umbria, to his hometown of Urbino. A flashback review of Raphael's masterpieces eventually returns to the beginning of the birth of his classic pictorial language.
Raphael was born on 6 April 1483 and died on the same day as 1520. Perhaps coincidentally, on June 2, when the exhibition was scheduled to close, the museum reopened and extended its exhibition until August. After the exhibition reopens, the exhibition tickets need to be booked online and formed in a small group of every 6 people, brought in and guided by a guard every 5 minutes, with a total visit time of 80 minutes for each group. The number of visitors per day is only one-fifth of what was originally expected.
"Raphael, 1520-1483" exhibition scene
More than 200 works are not easy to gather, in order to make up for the regrets, the museum online tour video. The first exhibition hall can be seen through the video as "The Tomb of Raphael of the Pantheon", showing a reproduction of the tomb of Raphael in the Pantheon of Rome, Raphael has repeatedly depicted the sketch of the Pantheon and used it as an ideal model of architecture; the second and third exhibition halls examine the relationship between Raphael and ancient Rome. The exhibition hall presents the Roman monuments and works of art he painted, recalling his interaction with classical art. The fourth exhibition hall presents the commissioned works of Raphael during the reign of Leo X (1513-1521).
Raphael's large-scale colorful tapestry decorative painting (screenshot from the museum's online tour video)
The exhibition concludes with a return to the early years of Raphael's art. One of them, "Young Woman with a Unicorn", shows Raphael's borrowing of Da Vinci, and also proves the talent and ability that young Raphael already has. The exhibition ends with Raphael's self-portrait in 1506. The young and handsome Raphael in the painting turns his head to look in the direction of the audience, with his innate demeanor and kindness, as if he will never be affected by time.
Raphael, Self-Portrait, 1506
Of the 40 works in the exhibition from the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, its director, Eck Schmidt, believes that Michelangelo "has always been interested in the anatomy of the human body", while leonardo da Vinci "focused on analyzing the world in scientific principles", and Raphael's interest in portraits "actually stems from the objects he serves". Raphael intends to explore "how to express the human character and soul through painting, which is not impossible, but it is indeed very difficult." But Raphael was close. ”
It is said that when the Louvre held the "Leonardo da Vinci Exhibition" in 2019, the Italian side fully cooperated with the loan works; this year, Rome held Raphael, and the French courtesy exchanges also took out treasures. But in the haze of the new crown, Raphael's 500 years have come to an hasty end, and Raphael's works from the Louvre, the Vatican Museums and the Uffizi Gallery were scheduled to be exhibited at the National Gallery in London in October 2020, and the exhibition has now been postponed to 2022. Many other Raphael exhibitions cannot be presented for the time being.
Raphael, The Eight Apostles, circa 1514 (Exhibit of "Raphael and His Circle of Friends" at the National Gallery of Art, Washington)
Horyu-ji Temple Golden Hall murals and Baekje Kannon
Venue: Tokyo National Museum
Poster of the exhibition "Horyuji Kannon Mural and Baekje Kannon" at the Tokyo National Museum
On the website of the Tokyo National Museum, it has been predicted that on March 13, 2020, the "Horyuji Golden Hall Mural and Baekje Kannon" will be launched to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the establishment of Japan's "Cultural Property Protection Law", and it is rare for Japanese national treasures such as "Baekje Kannon" (7th century) and other Buddhas associated with the golden hall to leave the temple and be exhibited in the museum. Also on display are facsimiles of burned 7th-century frescoes from Meiji onwards. The japanese people who are well-rounded are fully prepared for the exhibition, in addition to continuously introducing Horyuji Temple and the exhibition background and exhibit introduction on social networks, but also inviting voice actors to record the exhibition commentary, which can be described as everything ready, just waiting for the opening.
Horyu-ji Temple Kindo Mural (Facsimile) Wall No. 6 Amitabha Pure Land Map Sakurai Kao yun G Meiji 17 (1884) Tokyo National Museum Collection
However, due to the suspension of the Tokyo National Museum at the end of February due to the epidemic, on the eve of the opening of the exhibition, a 30-second video of the exhibition site on the museum website made people think of it endlessly. In the video, Horyu-ji Temple holds a 7th-century wood carving of Baekje Kannon (a national treasure) in the center of the exhibition hall, and the auspicious tenri statue of the Heian period and the Statue of Vishamon stand on both sides, and is surrounded by murals of the Golden Hall of Horyu-ji Temple, such as Sakurai Kaoyun and Suzuki Kwon-ru. These murals, which were originally painted on the 12 sides of the Golden Hall from the end of the 7th century, were destroyed by a fire in the Golden Hall of Horyuji Temple on the morning of January 26, 1949. Japan took this as an opportunity to enact the Cultural Property Protection Act.
In 1949, a fire broke out in the golden hall of Horyuji Temple, and the murals were burned in a large area.
Unfortunately, until the original closing day of the exhibition on May 10, the Tokyo National Museum remained closed, and the museum confirmed on its website that the exhibition would not be postponed and that some of the exhibits would be returned to Nara Horyu-ji Temple. This means that this carefully planned exhibition has no chance to meet the audience.
The public can only learn about the baekje Kannon, the most important exhibit in the exhibition, from the museum's preview of the exhibition, and this 7th-century statue was also exhibited at the Louvre in 1997.
Baekje Kannon (National Treasure), 7th century, wood carving, collection of Horyu-ji Temple
However, in fact, the origin and process of this "Baekje Kannon" are unknown, and it can be clearly only that the origin of the wood (camphor wood and cypress) used to carve it with the image style of the Southern and Northern Dynasties of China is Japan, so it is considered to be made in Japan. However, this Buddha statue is not recorded until the 11th year of Yuan Lu (1698) in the "Records of the Body of the Buddhas of Horyu-ji Temple" has a clause that "the Void Hidden Statue is seven feet and five minutes long", and from its height it is inferred that the "Void Hidden Statue" is "Baekje Guanyin", which is also the earliest description of the era of the "Baekje Kannon" found so far, but the book also says that the "Void Hidden Bodhisattva Statue" is "a statue of Tianzhu from Baekje Country". Why is it later believed that "Baekje Kannon" was made in the 7th century? Later, it was discovered that the Kōjo of Baekje Kannon and the Horyu-ji Treasure Hall of the Tokyo National Museum, which was born in the second half of the 7th century, came from contemporaries and workshops.
In the 7th century, "Baekje Kannon" wore a wristband and a bottle in his left hand
In the 6th year of Taisho (1917), the "Great Mirror of Horyuji Temple" first appeared in the "Baekje Kannon", and in 1919, tetsuro Tsuji (1889-1960) followed the phrase "Baekje Kannon", who was attracted to and described by this "Baekje Kannon":
"That rounded, gelatinous arm, the beautiful, pure and flawless curve of the chest. This is not a product of the mind that is accustomed to the beauty of the human body, but the product of the heart of wonder that has discovered the infinite beauty of the human body for the first time. ”
"Baekje Kannon" (partial)
Although the exhibition cannot be seen, it once again reminds the importance of cultural relics protection, and also arouses the public's understanding of the history behind Horyu-ji Temple, hoping that when the epidemic passes, we can go to the Tokyo National Museum to see the treasures of Kawayuji Temple, and to nara Horyu-ji Temple Baekje Kannon Hall to feel the "incomparable innocence (innocence)" of Baekje Kannon.
Nara Horyuji Kondo Wawa-storied Pagoda
Van Ike: The Optical Revolution
Venue: Ghent Museum, Belgium
On February 1, 2020, the exhibition "Van Eyck: The Optical Revolution" opened, and it should be noted that only 20 works by Jan van Eyck have been preserved worldwide, and half of the works are exhibited in this exhibition. Although his most iconic work, The Arnophinis, is too fragile and precious to be transported and not loaned, the National Gallery of Art specially lent Portrait of a Man, which is considered one of the earliest portraits of the painter and the focus of the exhibition. More importantly, the Ghent Altarpiece of St. Barmon's Church was also exhibited for the first time outside the church, and it was the last time the group of altarpieces completed between 1415 and 1432 left St. Barmon's Church.
Hubert van Ike, Jan van Ek, Altarpiece of Ghent (outside), 1415-1432, Church of St. Barmon in Ghent
At that time, Hubert van Ike was invited by the mayor of Ghent, Dokus Wiedder, to paint a group of altarpieces for St. Bevin's Church in Ghent. But since the great painter died in 1426, his younger brother Jan van Ike took over to complete it. The Ghent Altarpiece has endured hardships since its completion, until it was completely renovated in 1951 before it was returned to St. Barmon's Church.
Ghent Altarpiece (inside)
The Ghent Altarpiece is the earliest surviving Dutch painting with an autograph, a multi-winged "open-closed" altarpiece with 9 paintings on the outside. There are 12 paintings inside the closed altar. In the museum's exhibition, only 9 paintings are presented outside. Only during the festive liturgy can the wings of the altar be opened, and the 12 masterpieces of the inner layer can be seen. The group of altarpieces was also commented on as "taking one into the mysterious realm of revelation, like a passport to heaven."
Van Ike, The Annunciation, circa 1433-1435, Collection of the National Museum of Madrid
Many of the works in this exhibition include the Vatican Museums, the National Prado Museum in Madrid, the National Museum in Berlin, the National Gallery in Washington, D.C., and the Getty Museum in Los Angeles, and will be displayed in 13 exhibition halls of the Ghent Museum. During the exhibition, the museum also has a program of lectures, guided tours and concerts.
Van Ike, Portrait of a Man, 1432, Collection of the National Gallery
Unfortunately, the exhibition lasted less than half of the planned exhibition, and in mid-March, the museum was forced to close due to the pandemic, "it was like we carefully put together a huge puzzle," said Director Wei Laisen, "and it still takes a lot of effort to take it apart." "It is even more regrettable that the exhibition has not been postponed. Moreover, with the passage of time, the fragility of works more than 500 years ago has grown, so it is unlikely that there will be a large number of loans in the future, and the original "once-in-a-lifetime event" will be closed early.
A poster of the Van Ike exhibition posted at the Ghent railway station
Where the Truth Lies - Qiu Ying Art Special Exhibition
Venue: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, USA
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art is the first special exhibition of Qiu Ying outside Of Asia, and the exhibition has been in preparation for ten years, bringing together almost all the collections of Qiu Ying in the United States (Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, Boston Museum of Art, Art Chicago, Sackler Museum of Art, Cleveland Art Museum, Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art) and Asia (National Palace Museum in Taipei, Shanghai Museum, Osaka Municipal Museum of Art, Kyoto National Museum of Art), and special juxtapositions to display several sets of original works, imitations, Facsimile for the audience to compare and appreciate.
The exhibition site of "Where the Truth Lies - Qiu Ying Art Special Exhibition"
In fact, the Suzhou Museum and the National Palace Museum in Taipei have both done qiu ying exhibitions, but the exhibition in the United States has exhibited more than 60 works (including 45 works by Qiu Ying and 17 paintings by other ancient Chinese artists), which is more than the number of two Exhibitions of Qiu Ying in China. Moreover, the National Palace Museum in Taipei has collected Qiu Ying's "SongYin Qin Ruan Tu" and "Guan Bang Tu" for the first time, and the exhibits from China also include the Shanghai Museum's collection of Qiu Ying's late masterpieces "Sword Pavilion Map" and "Haitang Mountain Bird Map" and so on.
Qiu Ying, "Sword Pavilion Diagram", Shanghai Museum Collection
The exhibition reorganizes Qiu Ying's artistic career, taking his teacher as a guide, then introducing his early, middle and late creations, and finally ending with Qiu Ying's followers. More importantly, the exhibition attempts to examine this talented painter in a macroscopic socio-historical context, contrasting his contemporary background with his life, and repeatedly asking: What limitations does a family background have in evaluating a painter's artistic achievements? What was the literacy rate after the middle of the Ming Dynasty? What is the meaning of authenticity and authenticity? How important is art appreciation?
Zhou Chen, Beiming Tu, Collection of Nelson Atkins Art Museum
In addition to some well-known masterpieces by Qiu Ying, the exhibition also exhibits Chuan Zhoufang's "Gong Ji Tuning Qin Tu" and Qiu Ying's "Listening to the Qin Tu", and the rare Qiu Ying Linyi Song and Yuan ancient paintings include the private collection of "G Li Gong Lin Lian SheTu", the Yuan Ren Wang Zhenpeng's "Aunt Yu Fo Tu" and Qiu Ying's "G Wang Zhenpeng Aunt Yu Fo Tu". In the comparison of copying, you can feel his constant attempts to try different styles and be compatible with the elites of various families, especially the painting style of the Southern Song Dynasty Ma Xia, and Qiu Ying has devoted his life to continuous copying and learning.
(Biography) Zhou Fang, Gong Ji Tuning The Piano Diagram, Collection of Nelson Atkins Art Museum
Qiu Ying's "Listening to the Qintu", Kyoto National Museum
However, also because of the impact of the epidemic, the exhibition, which has been preparing for ten years, was not timely, and was closed shortly after its opening, reminiscent of a famous quote that Dong Qichang said to Qiu Ying: "When the real father painted, he did not hear the sound of Khotanese, such as the guarding of the next door, and his technique was also nearly bitter." ”
Qiu Ying, Songyin Qin Ruan Tu (axis), collection of the National Palace Museum in Taipei
Gerhard Richter: It's painting after all
Venue: Brewer Branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
In July 2020, the branch office on Madison Avenue of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York moved out. With the atmosphere of farewell, on March 4, "Gerhard Richter: Painting after all" opened at the Metropolitan Brewer Branch, a very apt farewell exhibition, and richter, now 88, felt that this may be the last major solo exhibition of his life: Richter's works occupy two floors of the exhibition hall, and the artist's turn at every stage makes people doubt his achievements - silent portraits, plain mirrors - here, as always, expressionlessly, advancing the development of painting. This is despite Richter's exposure to painting under endless criticism and torture.
Richter, Self-Portrait, 1996, the artist derives from a photographic blur work
However, due to the epidemic, the exhibition, which was only 9 days old, had to be closed, and this pass was also a farewell for the audience and the Metropolitan Brewer Branch.
Exhibiting around 100 works by Richter, the exhibition takes advantage of the architecture of the Metropolitan Brewer to create an open view in the museum's third and fourth floors, which allows the audience to appreciate the diversity of artist styles. And the exhibition halls on both floors have a visual center. The fourth floor revolves around the Cage series, while the third floor focuses on the 2014 Birkenau (Auschwitz) series, which obscures images of the Holocaust in abstract forms and seeming shadows, and is the first time in North America that Richter's work on this subject has been exhibited.
The "Birkenau" series on the exhibition site, the original on the left and the replica on the right; the original photograph of the concentration camp is reflected in the mirror
It has been suspected that Richter himself was involved in the layout of the exhibition hall, presenting replicas and mirrors with his purpose. Artists in their nineties may have doubts about the ideologies instilled during the Cold War, but doubted their own doubts. Compared to his admirers, Richter himself lacked confidence in the "Birkenau" series, and even in the major exhibitions he considered the last of his life, he was still full of doubts about himself. Perhaps every time he picks up a spatula, he sets an example of how artists can face doubts, face the fear of wrong, face self-doubt, and how to continue fighting.
Richter in creation
This is also the priceless treasure that Richter provides for young artists, in the face of dogmatism, there is a need for artists similar to Richter to make a voice of "I am not sure, I am still thinking, I am still working".
The Forbidden City 600 years series of special exhibitions
Venue: The Palace Museum, Beijing
2020 is the centenary of the Birth of the Forbidden City, and in 2019, a number of exhibition plans such as "Han Xizai's Night Feast - Exhibition of Character Paintings of Past Dynasties" and "Qingming On the River" and "Paintings of Past Dynasties" were announced, but due to the impact of the epidemic, some heavyweight exhibitions had no choice but to postpone.
On January 25, the Palace Museum began to close due to the precise prevention and control of the epidemic in China. On May 1, the Forbidden City, which has been closed for more than three months, reopened, and from July 21, the indoor exhibition hall opened.
On September 1, the Palace Museum launched its first heavyweight exhibition since the epidemic - "Characters of the Ancient Times: Special Exhibition of Su Shi's Calligraphy and Paintings collected by the Palace Museum", or affected by the epidemic, the exhibits are all collections of the Forbidden City, Su Shi's authentic works include "Homecoming Post" and "Spring Post", etc., and the authentic works of Huang Tingjian, Mi Fu and Cai Xiang, which are equally famous with Su Shi, are also presented, and the calligraphy and paintings related to Su Shi in the Song Yuan, Ming, Qing and Su Shi are also exhibited.
Pictured: Su Shi's "Xingshu Title Wang Xue Poetry Post Page", on paper, Xingshu, 29.9 cm in length and 25.7 cm in width
This is also the first large-scale exhibition in the Forbidden City named Dongpo, from which you can vaguely see the portrait of the Northern Song Dynasty literati with Su Shi as the core, as well as Su Shi as a literary artist, calligrapher and painter and a model of literati. He typically embodies the cultural spirit of the Song Dynasty and also provides an aesthetic paradigm. Ten days later, "Danchen Yonggu - 600 Years after the Forbidden City Was Built" opened at the noon gate of the Forbidden City, and the exhibition closely followed the theme of "Time", and exhibited more than 450 cultural relics and historical photos including the Ming Dynasty Yongle "Qingyu Ming Chengzu Album" in three major units, "Zhu Zhanji Xingle Tu", the ridge beast on the Taihe Hall, and the Jin Ou Yonggu Cup designed by Qianlong.
"Danchen Yonggu - 600 Years after the Forbidden City Was Built" exhibition site building components
From the completion of the Forbidden City in the eighteenth year of Yongle (1420), to the opening of the Forbidden City in 1914, the construction of the museum in 1925, and then to the restoration in recent years, a series of cultural relics have outlined a story, which is also accompanied by the 600 years of the Forbidden City. Of course, the scale of this exhibition is much smaller than that of the planned ones.
At the end of 2020, the "Exhibition of Archaeological Achievements of the Silk Road (Uzbekistan Section)", because of the "dimensionality reduction blow" of the epidemic, broke the circle of "two dimensions", and was only opened to the public in the form of pictures, and at the same time, it can be "cloud exhibition" on the Internet.
The exhibition site of the "Silk Road Archaeological Achievements Exhibition". "Wenbo number" diagram
The exhibition originated in 2009, the Central Asian Archaeological Team of Northwest University traveled to the West Tianshan region of Uzbekistan, selected the two sites of Sazakan and Rabat north and south for excavation, and exhibited 90 sets/groups of cultural relics (photo boutiques) excavated by the Sino-Ukrainian Joint Archaeological Team in 2015 to 2018 in the territory of Uzbekistan. Among the exhibits are pottery, wooden swords, various ornaments and much more.
There are many clay pots in the exhibits, which are also vivid in the photos, and the shadows and shadows on the clay pots are displayed; the originally less rounded wooden sword is silently lying under the beam of light after being transformed into a piece of paper, although it is a piece of paper, but it is still the same as the light, and the carefully compiled hanging display copy can be seen, and the Palace Museum has also carefully prepared the exhibition display, only waiting for the exhibits to be sent.
On-site effect of "The Vast Expanse of the Vast Expanse - Exhibition of Archaeological Achievements of the Silk Road (Uzbekistan Section)"
This special way of opening the exhibition has received unexpected attention, in addition to paying attention to cultural relics, the presentation method is more talked about, and the public not only understands but also gives full recognition to this special way of displaying under the epidemic. In the new year of 2021, the "Han Xizai Night Feast Map - Exhibition of Character Paintings of Past Dynasties" will still be opened, when important character paintings such as "Fan Lady Figure", "Han Xizai Night Feast Map", "Ce Wei Tu", "Xiao Yi Earn Lan Ting Tu" and other important character paintings will be unveiled, may the world be quiet.
150 years of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Venue: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
2020 is the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and since the beginning of the year, a series of exhibitions have been launched, among which the "Close-up Chinese Painting and Calligraphy" that has attracted the attention of the Chinese public has exhibited (biographically) Dong Yuan (Yuan) "Xi'an Map", as well as Li Gonglin's "Filial Piety Map", Ma Yuan's "Appreciation of Plums Under the Moon", Huang Tingjian's "Cursive Lian Po Lin Xiang Xiang Biography" (volume), Zhao Mengfu, Zhao Yong, Zhao Lin's "Three People's Horse Diagram" (volume), Wu Zhen's "Lutan Fishing Boat Map" and so on. "Close-up" is the way to appreciate Chinese painting and calligraphy, and the study process of Chinese calligraphy and painting requires "close-up" and copying. In the introduction of the exhibition, it is even believed that "close-up" is the core of Chinese painting and calligraphy.
Dong Yuan (Yuan) of the Five Dynasties, "River Bank Map", collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art
While the public awaited the Met's 150th anniversary special exhibition and the annual Met Gala at the end of March, the Met began to close on March 12, and a series of annual exhibitions and events were planned, including the reopening of the Ukin Collection Gallery, the 150-year special exhibition, summer celebrations, etc., which were either postponed or cancelled. Fortunately, thanks to the Met's mature digital system, a series of exhibitions, including the Richter Retrospective and the 150th Anniversary Special, were presented online.
The poster "Creating the Metropolitan Museum: 1870-2020" was changed for the exhibition time
On August 29, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York reopened. There are fewer tourists, more admission processes, and in order to avoid taking public transportation, the museum will provide visitors with a place to park their bicycles. At the same time, the exhibition for the 150th anniversary of the Metropolis finally opened offline, and four paintings from the "Birkenau" series in Richter in the Brewer Branch were moved to the main building. On the building façade space, Yoko Ohno made two new banners in response to the pandemic, marked "Dream" and "Together" respectively.
Yoko Ohno's "Dreams" and "Together" hang from the façade of a metropolitan building
"The Past and Present Lives of the Metropolis – 1870-2020", focusing on the history of the institution, presents more than 250 highest-level collections in various categories, which are generally displayed in 10 chapters according to the date of admission to the Metropolis, so that the audience can intuitively feel the growth of the Metropolis. The Met's earliest collections include the exquisite marble bust of Benjamin Franklin by the French sculptor Jean-Antoine Hooton during the Revolution. The brilliance of the exhibition is that the viewer can enjoy a rare and fascinating juxtaposition of some important collections: Michelangelo's paintings are intertwined with Egyptian statues; Burmese harps sit next to Flemish lace; van Gogh and Rodin's works appear alongside the statues of mangaaka power figures from the kingdom of Kongo, and the portrait of Marilyn Monroe by Richard Aveton.
During the closure of the museum, the "Black Life Movement" also became a major event of concern in Western society, and the Metropolitan also fine-tuned the exhibition plan after the opening of the museum, and the exhibition of African-American painter Jacob Lawrence and Mexican artist Héctor Zamora opened at the same time. As part of the Metropolitan Museum's 150th anniversary, the fashion fair "About Time: Fashion and Continuity" opened in October, but the atmosphere of the "150th Anniversary of the Metropolis" was dissolved under the circumstances of many events.
Interior space of the Metropolitan Museum
In March 2020, the National Gallery in London opened "Titian: Love, Desire and Death" under the epidemic, which has also been planned for a long time. The exhibition focuses on the 1551 work in which Prince Philip (future King Philip II of Spain) commissioned Titian to create seven paintings based on the story of the Roman poet Ovid's Metamorphosis. The seven works were created for nearly a decade (one of which was not delivered), and the exhibition brings together six works in Boston, Madrid and London, for the first time in more than 400 years. However, it was closed after three days due to the epidemic.
Titian, Venus and Adonis, 1554, Collection of the Prado Museum, Spain
After 111 days of closure, on July 8, the National Gallery reopened and titian exhibition was extended to 2021, in order to cooperate with the epidemic prevention and control, the museum planned three exhibition routes to strengthen the necessary social distancing and viewing experience. In response to several desperate warnings from the Uk's cultural sector during the pandemic, the UK government announced a package pledging £1.57 billion to aid the art world, saying the programme would protect the future of UK museums, galleries, galleries, theatres and music venues.
The English classicist Mary Beard before Titian's works
Art institutions across the UK are closed again, and 61 works from the Collection of the National Gallery are on display in Osaka, Japan, spanning the history of painting from the Renaissance to the Post-Impressionists. This is the museum's first large-scale tour outside the UK and the first time these works have appeared in Japan. Works on display include Carlo Kriverly, Titian, Vermeer, Rembrandt, Renoir, and Van Gogh's Sunflowers.
Sunflowers in the National Museum of Western Art, Japan in the Exhibition of Masterpieces of the National Gallery of Art, London. Yomiuri Shimbun Figure
The "National Gallery of Art In London" is also undergoing twists and turns in Japan, and was originally scheduled to be exhibited at the National Museum of Western Art in Tokyo from March 3 to June 14 this year, and the exhibits have also been shipped to the museum. But shortly before the launch, the museum announced that it was closed due to the epidemic. Until it reopens on June 18, the extension is postponed to October 18. Since then, the Osaka Station tour opened in November and lasted for nearly three months. The tour's final stop is at the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra, which could be postponed until next May. This means that this important collection from The National Gallery in London may not "go home" until the summer of 2021 at the earliest.
The exhibition site of the "National Gallery of Fine Arts, London" exhibition at the National Museum of Western Art, Japan. Yomiuri Shimbun Figure
At the end of 2020, the international new crown continued to rage and mutate; the domestic new crown shadow is still there. The online mode of various museums and galleries allows the audience to meet art in another way. Many of the biggest art institutions' hosts have suggested that the future of ambitious exhibitions is becoming more complex (and certainly more expensive), and many museums are considering rationalizing their plans.
"Raphael, 1520-1483", such exhibitions will be rare in the future
"Over the past 20 years, big shows have come crazy. I think it's time for a pause and more consideration of the audience. It is expected that for some time in the future we will primarily deal with local audiences, which will also be a new experience; we need to consider the connections between the permanent collection, the exhibition program and the local audience. It's an attractive challenge: we also want to use it to build closer relationships with the British people. Gabriel Fendi, director of the National Gallery, said.
There is also a consensus at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, because in the past, 70% of the 7 million visitors a year were tourists, but now the audience in the museum's exhibition halls is mostly local residents, which is also a new topic for the museum.
In the face of illness, art can do very limited, but art can record the present and soothe the soul. In October, the new crown photography exhibition curated by Princess Kate of the United Kingdom, "Perseverance" was launched on the website of the National Portrait Gallery in the United Kingdom, and 100 photos exhibited online recorded various moments during the epidemic, capturing and recording "spirit, hope, fear and emotion".
Long-awaited hug, photo by Lesley Garven
Although the haze of the new crown is still there, this is just one of the disasters that humanity has experienced, and the world will eventually move forward and look forward to the new 2021.
Editor-in-Charge: Huang Song
Proofreader: Yan Zhang