We often encounter hand drawings in museums today, but originally most had a different, smaller audience. The Getty Museum in Los Angeles explores the fascinating history of this medium in Finding an Audience: 19th-Century Drawings. The show opens Sept. 26.
Some great 19th-century hand drawings were shown in salons, almost on a par with oil paintings. Most of them fulfilled − with equally high quality! − other purposes: they were often studies for paintings, gifts to friends or relatives, or they were sold directly to collectors for private ownership. Drawings usually found a large audience during the 20th century or even in the 21st century in museum exhibitions. The Getty Museum in Los Angeles is taking the historical realities 200 years ahead of our time with Finding an Audience: 19th-Century Drawings, which will offer nearly 40 exhibits, some of them spectacular, from Sept. 26, 2023, to Jan. 7, 2024.
Among the artists are many famous representatives such as Sarah Stone, Edgar Degas, Gustav Klimt, Joseph Mallord William Turner, William Turner of Oxford, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, and John Martin. Curated by Julian Brooks, the exhibition offers a wealth of fascinating background on the works, such as this one: Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec was an alcoholic and suffered from dementia, so his mother had him hospitalized for his aggressive behavior. There, he made drawings of circus scenes from memory to prove his sanity. It worked, he was released: »I bought my freedom with drawings«, the artist is said to have declared afterwards.
The Neue Nationalgalerie is honoring Nan Goldin's work from the last 45 years with a comprehensive exhibition. The photographer conquered the art world with her snapshot aesthetic and is considered one of the most influential artists of our time. Nan Goldin: This Will Not End Well can be seen in Berlin from November 23.
It was one of the most moving decades in the history of the United Kingdom: the 1980s, characterized by strikes, protests and AIDS. Photographers documented this period and in some cases became political activists themselves through their images. The exhibition The 80s: Photographing Britain opens on November 21 at the Tate Britain in London.
