Italian artists of the late 1800s, like Italian citizens, struggled to build on the strengths of the past while defining themselves in entirely new ways. Judith Meighan, associate professor in the history of art at Syracuse University, will present the lecture "Mediterranean Light: The Artistic Imagination of Italy" on Sunday, March 14, at 3 pm. This free lecture will be held at the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute.

The investigation of light-so much more brilliant around the Mediterranean than in Paris-and its surrounding atmosphere became the means by which the innovative artists of Italy created a new artistic language and an identity some felt was more powerful and energizing than anything made in France. Meighan will discuss this investigation of light and the art and artists in Italy in the late nineteenth century.

In 1871 artist Giovanni Boldini left Italy, a nation that was just over ten years old with an immensely rich cultural heritage, and moved to Paris. Currently on view at the Clark, the exhibition Giovanni Boldini in Impressionist Paris illuminates Boldini's early career when he lived in Paris and painted the city's bustling streets, cafes, and concert halls, as well as charming scenes of its sunny suburban landscapes, while developing his unique style. Through approximately seventy oil paintings and drawings, the exhibition presents an innovative look at Boldini's Paris-its places of entertainment and leisure, its inhabitants, and its environs-at a time when the Impressionists were investigating the same sites and subjects. The exhibition is on view through April 25.

The lecture is sponsored by WGBY Public Television for Western New England. The Clark is located at 225 South Street in Williamstown, Massachusetts. The galleries are open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm (daily in July and August). Admission is free November through May. Admission is $15 June 1 through October 31. Admission is free for children 18 and younger, members, and students with valid ID. For more information, call 413-458-2303 or visit clarkart.edu.

Press contact:

Sally Morse Majewski

413-458-0588

smajewski@clarkart.edu