I attended the Davis Museum’s spring opening reception on Wednesday night. I was particularly excited to see the exhibition Prints in an Age of Artistry: Selections from a Private Collection of 16th and 17th century Italian Prints. I teach at RISD all day Wednesdays, so I drove back from Providence and went straight to the opening. At the opening, I stumbled upon a gallery talk by Richard Wallace and Elizabeth Wyckoff, Curator of prints and drawings at the Davis Museum which was really great to take in.
The exhibition focuses primarily on etching, although there are some engravings as well as a chiaroscuro woodcut by Coriolano. The diversity of the prints was really terrific, some religious and narrative while others seemed whimsical and playful. This Podesta print below had quite possibly the grouchiest looking putto I’ve ever seen. (see the putto on the far right with his arms raised.) Opening receptions are actually never really the best time to get a good look at the work because of the crowds, so I’ll be sure to make another visit over the next few weeks.
Andrea Giovanni Podesta, Allegory of the Arts, etching with engraving
Clara Lieu 