The Louvre and the Masterpiece
October 2009
By Tad Simons
Though it contains many masterpieces, the Minneapolis Institute of Art’s The Louvre and the Masterpiece, is not an exhibition featuring the best the Louvre has to offer. Rather, the show explores how the idea of a “masterpiece” has evolved over the past 4,000 years, in particular how shifting notions of authenticity, connoisseurship, taste, scholarship, and public opinion have shaped current cultural conceptions of the word. The show is designed to draw viewers into a deeper, more engaging discussion about the relative value of art and the shifting aesthetic sands that inform debates about artistic quality and merit worldwide.
The exhibit runs October 18, 2009-January 10, 2010.
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Johannes Vermeer
Dutch, 1632–1675
The Astronomer, 1668
Oil on canvas
Musée du Louvre, Department of Paintings, RF 1983-28
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Leonardo da Vinci
Italian, 1452–1519
Drapery Study, 1470–1479
Brush and tempera on linen
Musée du Louvre, Department of Graphic Arts, RF 41905
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Georges de La Tour
French, 1593–1652
The Card-Sharp with Ace of Diamonds, 17th century
Oil on canvas
Musée du Louvre, Department of Paintings, RF 1972-8
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Dish from the Boscoreale Treasure
Roman, end of 1st century BC–1st half of 1st century AD
Partially gilded silver
Musée du Louvre, Department of Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Antiquities, BJ 1969
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Female statuette known as the Lady of Auxerre
Greek, Crete, ca. 640–630 BC
Limestone with incised decoration and traces of original paint
Musée du Louvre, Department of Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Antiquities, MA 3098
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Head of Amenhotep III
Egyptian, New Empire, 18th Dynasty, ca. 1391–1353 BC
Granodiorite
Musée du Louvre, Department of Egyptian Antiquities, A 25
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Designed by Jean-Baptiste-Jules Klagmann
French, 1810–1867
Ewer, ca. 1848
Silver
Musée du Louvre, Department of Decorative Arts, OA 11741
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Antoine-Louis Barye
French, 1795–1875
Lion with Serpent, 1833–1836
Bronze
Musée du Louvre, Department of Sculptures, LP 1184
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Lorenzo Lotto
Italian, ca. 1480–1556
Christ Carrying the Cross, 1526
Oil on canvas
Musée du Louvre, Department of Paintings, RF 1982-50
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Peacock dish
Iznik, Turkey, ca. 1550
Stone paste with underglaze painting over a slip coating
Musée du Louvre, Department of Islamic Arts, K 3449
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Michelangelo Buonarroti
Italian, 1475–1564
Virgin and Child with St. Anne and study of a male nude, head in profile, ca. 1500
Pen and brown ink, brown wash, and black chalk
Musée du Louvre, Department of Graphic Arts, INV 685
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Antonio Pisanello
Italian, ca.1395–1455?
Hunting hawk hooded and perched on a gloved left hand, first half of 15th century
Pen and brown ink, brown wash and watercolor with white highlights
Musée du Louvre, Department of Graphic Arts, INV 2453
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Franz Xaver Messerschmidt
German, 1736–1783
Character Head, between 1770 and 1783
Lead
Musée du Louvre, Department of Sculptures, RF 4724
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