Image: Charles Morris Young, El Brandywine en invierno (The Brandywine in Winter), 1909.
© Museo Nacional Bellas Artes.
Visitors to A lyrical quality of lasting charm: American and Chilean painting at the Centenary of Chile, an exhibition curated by University of Alberta Art & Design Professor Betsy Boone at Chile's Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, will be afforded the chance to view works by five American painters-John C. Johansen, J. Francis Murphy, John F. Stacey, Charles Morris Young, and Charles Francis Browne-none of which have been exhibited since their departure from the U.S. and acquisition by Chile in 1910.
Professor Boone's extensive research on the collection in anticipation of this exhibition will also contribute invaluable metadata, much of which will inform the exhibition materials themselves.
A lyrical quality of lasting charm: American and Chilean painting in the Centenary de Chile captures a turning point in the early 20th century during which cultural and creative exchange was brought about through the display and acquisition of paintings. It will recreate many of the conditions and contextual elements of the original 1910 exhibition, when Commissioner General John Trask was appointed by the U.S. Government to select American art to represent the U.S. at Chile's exhibition in celebration of a centenary of independence. Trask's selection of approximately 120 paintings and 41 sculptures traveled throughout South America, eventually featuring as one of the inaugural exhibitions at Chile's then recently constructed Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes (National Museum of Fine Arts).
Whilst this grouping features several nudes, it is the predominance of landscape that is indicative of a shared affinity with the natural landscape that unites Chile and the U.S. in the establishment and affirmation of their affiliated yet autonomous identities.
Image: Historic photograph depicting a wing featuring works by American Artists
at the time of their exhibition in 1910. Santiago, Chile.
© Museo Nacional Bellas Artes.
Trask could not have anticipated the creative, cultural and commercial success that would result. In addition to celebrating a centenary milestone of Chilean independence (as the U.S. had done 34 years earlier), the exhibition resulted in American artists painting the Chilean landscape during their stay, reciprocal visits from Chilean painters to the U.S., and sales of American paintings throughout Latin America at several of the touring exhibitions' destinations: Montevideo and Buenos Aires in addition to Santiago de Chile.
The 1910 exhibition followed in the wake of a fraught relationship between Chile and the US, exacerbated by a mutual interest in the Pacific. Counter to this tense relationship, the exhibition provided a forum to unite the US and Chile in light of their respective identities, both of which are bound up with the diversity of terrain and grandeur of their respective national landscapes. Thematically, landscape is indeed well represented amongst participating artists from the U.S. in order to emphasize their commonalities. The 2014 exhibition features the six American paintings acquired by the Chilean government in dialogue with a group of paintings by six Chilean artists who likewise exhibited their work at the Centenary exhibition.
About Professor Betsy Boone
M. Elizabeth 'Betsy' Boone is a Professor in the History of Art, Design and Visual Culture at the University of Alberta. Her expertise focuses on transnational relations, the role of art in the establishment of national identity, and the politics of display in 19th and early 20th century art of the Americas and Western Europe. Professor Boone is presently writing a SSHRC-funded book on Spain at the American World's Fairs and Exhibitions. In addition to this pending monograph, Professor Boone has published works on American life, views and experiences in Spain during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
A lyrical quality of lasting charm: American and Chilean painting at the Centenary of Chile will be on view at the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes from March 18th through May 18th 2014. Further information pertaining to the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes exhibition schedule can be found by visiting: http://www.mnba.cl/Vistas_Publicas/publicHome/homePublic.aspx?idInstitucion=70