October 7, 2018–January 6, 2019
This small but powerful focus exhibition of Claude Monet’s “Waterloo Bridge” series will include the stellar example from MAG’s collection along with seven others borrowed from North American sister institutions. Monet painted over 40 versions of Waterloo Bridge during three London sojourns between 1899 and 1901. He saw these paintings both individually and as an ensemble that, collectively, expressed his sense of the essential subject—the atmosphere and colors of the fog-bound landscape of London’s Thames River. The exhibition Monet’s Waterloo Bridge offers visitors the unique opportunity to experience several versions of the series concurrently, creating a special dialogue that allows a rare glimpse at Monet’s artistic vision as well as the process by which he struggled to achieve that vision.
Close examination of the pigments and surface textures of the paintings, and extensive new imaging and materials analysis conducted on MAG’s Waterloo Bridge by scientists at the Art Conservation Program at Buffalo State University, shed light on Monet’s artistic process. Visitors will be able to explore Monet’s creative process through state-of-the-art interactive technology that makes the scientific imaging accessible, as well as through a documentary video created specifically for the exhibition. Here are a few selections ~ getting up close and personal with MAG’s Waterloo Bridge.
Monet’s Waterloo Bridge will be accompanied by a scholarly catalogue, published by RIT Press, with essays on Monet’s London series paintings; the artist, his dealer, and the marketing of the London series paintings; and the interpretation of recent imaging analysis. Contributors include Professor Grace Seiberling of the University of Rochester; Jennifer Thompson, curator of European art at the Philadelphia Museum of Art; and James Hamm, head of Paintings Conservation at Buffalo State University.
PROGRAMMING:
Sunday, October 7, 2018 | 2 pm CURATOR’S TALK | Nancy Norwood, MAG’s curator of European art, on the making of Monet’s Waterloo Bridge: Vision and Process. Included with museum admission.
Wednesday, October 17, 2018 | 4:30-7 pm | $15 ESPECIALLY FOR EDUCATORS | Monet’s Waterloo Bridge: Vision and Process Explore eight interpretations of Waterloo Bridge and learn what scientific analysis has revealed about Monet’s vision and techniques. Registration and prepayment required. Contact Chelsea Anderson or 585.276.8971.
Thursday, October 18, 2018 | 7-10 pm COLLEGE NIGHT College students are free tonight to visit MAG and take part in music, food, and an immersive art installation related to Monet, color, and vision. Explore the exhibition. RIT and UofR to offer free shuttles.
Thursday, October 25, 2018 | 7 pm ILLUSTRATED TALK | A Good Impression Is Lost So Quickly Jennifer Thompson, Senior Curator of European Painting and Sculpture at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and curator in charge of the Rodin Museum in Philadelphia. Included with museum admission.
Thursday, November 1, 2018 | 7 pm LECTURE | Embodied Vision Jacob W. Lewis, Visiting Assistant Professor of Art History and Krishnan Padmanabhan, Assistant Professor of Neuroscience at the School of Medicine and Dentistry, both at the University of Rochester, will discuss the rich history of physiology, optics, and neuroscience in relation to human perception, which influenced and was influenced by Monet’s Impressionism. Included with museum admission.
Wednesday, November 7, 2018 | 4:30-7 pm | $15 ESPECIALLY FOR EDUCATORS | Monet’s Waterloo Bridge: The Science Behind Color and Light Educators from the MAG and the Rochester Museum and Science Center (RMSC) explain how scientists looked “beneath the surface” of Waterloo Bridge and what their findings reveal about color theory, light waves, and how we see. Registration and prepayment required. Contact Chelsea Anderson or 585.276.8971.
Friday, November 9, 2018 | 4 pm | At the Humanities Center, Rush Rhees Library, UofR LECTURE | Art and Environment Monet’s Waterloo Bridge represented an atmosphere already transformed by the effects of industry. Heather Davis, Professor of Culture & Media at The New School, and artist Mary Mattingly will discuss how contemporary artists are responding to climate change. Free.
Friday, November 9, 2018 ART SOCIAL Inspired by Monet | 6:15 pm / $15 per art session / includes supplies & museum admission Join us for a creative, hands-on art lesson with an emphasis on fun. Art Social is one of our SHORTS programs, often held right near the MAG’s front entrance. This program is a great way to get yourself a little more motivated and creative, and you can bring a friend! Feel free to purchase food and drinks at the Brown Hound Downtown and carry them into the Art Social program. You can also enjoy a visit to the galleries before or after your program. Art Social runs an hour and a half and is led by Sara Blake and Casey Cardillo.
Sunday, November 18, 2018 | 2 pm FILM I, Claude Monet Monet’s life is a gripping tale about a man who, behind his sun-dazzled canvases, suffered from feelings of depression, loneliness, even suicide. However, as his art developed and his love of gardening led to the glories of his Giverny garden, his humor, insight, and love of life are revealed. Told through Monet’s own words and shot on location at the very spots he painted, the film features his most loved paintings in an unforgettable, immersive art experience. Included in museum admission.
Sunday, December 9, 2018 | 2 pm LECTURE | Monet and London: A Changing Environment Grace Seiberling, from Art and Art History Department at the University of Rochester, will discuss Monet’s landscapes and atmospheres in relation to the contemporary issue of climate change. Included in museum admission.
ALSO SEE: Seeing in Color and Black-and-White
Developed as a companion to Monet’s Waterloo Bridge: Vision and Process, this exhibition features artists such as Josef Albers, Victor Vasarely, and Jesús Rafael Soto, who chose abstraction over representation to reveal the mechanics of human vision and make viewers aware of how they see. Learn more
$20 general admission $17 senior citizens (62+) $11 college students with ID $11 children 6–18 FREE for children 5 and under $5 for University of Rochester students, faculty and staff with current ID. Groups TBD
Half-price admission Thursdays after 5 pm | Become a member and avoid the surcharge
Check out the press release: