European Masters: 19th – 20th century art, 6 November, 2010 – 27 February, 2011.
A world-first tour of some of the world’s most famous paintings is scheduled to make a stop at Te Papa – New Zealand’s national museum.
The ‘European Masters’ exhibition, worth in the hundreds of millions, includes works by the most influential artists of the 19th and early 20th centuries, including Picasso, Van Gogh, Degas, Monet, Renoir and Cezanne. Ninety-six pieces by 70 artists will be on show.
Acting Te Papa chief executive Michelle Hippolite said the exhibition was an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for visitors to see the European masters outside of Europe.
“Te Papa is delighted to bring the works of such artists as Renoir, Degas and Picasso to New Zealand audiences. In this instance, we have the Stadel Museum, the New Zealand Government, and our sponsors to thank for helping to make possible the exhibition’s only New Zealand venue.”
Artistic revolution
The ‘European Masters’ collection – which has never left Europe before – has been curated by the Stadel Museum in Frankfurt, Germany, and spans the dynamic and transformative years of the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Included in the exhibition are neo-classical, realist, impressionist and symbolist works, as well as German expressionist paintings and sculpture.
About 10 works by avant-garde German expressionist painter Max Beckmann will also be shown.
German – Kiwi links
Considered one of Germany’s most important museums, The Stadel Museum was established in 1815 and initially funded by a single private collector – Frankfurt banker and merchant Johann Friedrich Stadel.
The museum owns 2700 paintings, of which 600 are on display, and also holds a library of rare books and periodicals. The collection of European paintings spans seven centuries back to the early 14th century.
Stadel Director Max Hollein said it was a privilege to be able to exhibit the European Masters in a “museum as exceptional as Te Papa”.
“We hope the visitors will share our enthusiasm and derive great enjoyment from these wonderful masterpieces of painting and sculpture.”
Te Papa: NZ’s national treasure
Te Papa Tongarewa is New Zealand’s national museum. The museum’s full name means ‘the place of treasures of this land’, but it is more informally known as Te Papa, or ‘our place’.
The museum – located in New Zealand’s capital, Wellington – was officially opened in February 1998 by then NZ Prime Minister Jenny Shipley.
Te Papa sits on a prominent waterfront site that was previously occupied by a five-storey hotel. To make room for the museum, the Museum Hotel building was moved across the road and, along with Te Papa, has become another iconic Wellington landmark.
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More information: Wellington, NZ
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