Named one of 2010’s hot exhibitions by Harper’s Bazaar, the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute’s groundbreaking exhibition Picasso Looks at Degas explores Pablo Picasso’s lifelong fascination with the work and life of Edgar Degas. Co-curators Elizabeth Cowling, professor emeritus of art history at the University of Edinburgh, and Richard Kendall, curator-at-large at the Clark, will discuss their experience of organizing the exhibition and address some of the intriguing questions it raised during an in-depth examination of both artists’ works in the lecture, “Homage, Mockery or Theft? The Case of Picasso and Degas,” on Sunday, June 13, at 3 pm. Admission is free to the lecture, which will be followed by a book signing. The exhibition catalogue will be available for purchase at the museum shop.

Cowling, a well-known Picasso expert, and Kendall, a recognized Impressionist scholar, met with members of the Picasso family, studied hundreds of works by Picasso and Degas, and visited archives, museums, and private collections in the United States and Europe while conducting research for the exhibition. During the lecture, they will explore the provocative questions raised by the exhibition. Was Picasso in awe of Degas or amused by him? Did he merely “steal” from Degas's art or was there a deeper sense of identification with his great Impressionist predecessor? What did the two artists have in common and what separated their personalities and their creative projects?

Picasso Looks at Degas is the first exhibition to explore Picasso’s direct response to Degas’s work and examines the ways his response varied over time: from emulation to confrontation and parody to homage. Picasso collected the Impressionist’s prints, continually re-interpreted his images, and at the end of his life, created scenes that included depictions of Degas himself.

Picasso Looks at Degas, on view June 13 through September 12, 2010, brings together over one hundred works from international museums and private collections which explore the depth of the Spanish artist’s fixation through dramatic pairings and groupings. The Clark is the exclusive North American venue for the exhibition; it will be presented at the Museu Picasso in Barcelona in the fall of 2010.

Picasso Looks at Degas was organized by the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute and the Museu Picasso, Barcelona. It is supported in part by a grant from the National

Endowment for the Arts, an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and the

Humanities, and with the special cooperation of Fundación Almine y Bernard Ruiz-

Picasso para el Arte.

The Clark is located at 225 South Street in Williamstown, Massachusetts. The galleries are open Tuesday through Sunday, 10:00 am to 5:00 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.

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  Calendar listing:   

 June 12:  Celebrate the opening of the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute’s summer exhibitions Picasso Looks at Degas and Juan Muñoz with a fantastic evening of art, tapas, strolling guitarists, flamenco, opera and other delights inspired by the riches of Spain on Saturday, June 12, at 6:00 pm. Tickets are $125 ($100 members) and may be purchased online at www.clarkart.edu or by calling 413 458 0524. The Clark, 225 South Street, Williamstown, MA. clarkart.edu, 413 458 2303.

June 13:  Picasso Looks at Degas exhibition opening lecture, “Homage, Mockery or Theft? The Case of Picasso and Degas,” with co-curators Elizabeth Cowling and Richard Kendall. Admission is free to the lecture, which will be followed by a book signing. The Clark, 225 South Street, Williamstown, MA. clarkart.edu, 413 458 2303.

June 13 through September 12:  Focusing on two of the great artists of the modern period, Picasso Looks at Degas examines Picasso’s lifelong fascination with the life and work of Degas. The Clark is the exclusive North American venue for this groundbreaking exhibition exploring  the depth of the Spanish artist’s fixation through dramatic pairings and groupings of art that have never been brought together in this ambitious way. The Clark, 225 South Street, Williamstown, MA. clarkart.edu, 413 458 2303.

June 13 through October 17:  Juan Muñoz features works by Spanish sculptor Juan Muñoz (1953–2001). This immersive exhibition explores themes of absence, memory, and paradox. The Clark, 225 South Street, Williamstown, MA. clarkart.edu, 413 458 2303.

Press Contact:

Sally Morse Majewski

smajewski@clarkart.edu

413 458 0588