Henry La Thangue Making Ligurian Lace c.1905. Oil on canvas. Collection of Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū, purchased by the Canterbury Society of Arts with the J.T. Peacock bequest 1912, presented to the city 1932
This exhibition is now closed
Sunlight, warmth and the lure of escape and travel
There are abundant vicarious pleasures to be had through artists’ pursuit of sunlight, warmth, nostalgia and rustic subject matter. In a selection of paintings shaped by escape and travel, destinations include Rome, Venice, the Italian Riviera, Brittany, Cornwall, and the Dutch, French and English countryside. Many artists produced work while on seasonal summer retreats or in artist colonies, or sought aesthetic invigoration beyond the distractions of city life in tranquil rural or seaside settings. Loved and favourite works from the historical collection alongside moments of discovery.
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Date:
15 September 2017 – 19 August 2018 -
Curator:
Ken Hall -
Exhibition number:
1045 -
Historical Collection Art Partner
Collection works in this exhibition
Related
Commentary
See Italy and Die
‘A man who has not been to Italy is always conscious of an inferiority, from his not having seen what it is expected a man should see.’
Samuel Johnson, 1776
As every traveller knows, there is something obsessive about setting out on a journey: the preparatory work of consulting guides, the organisation of itineraries, the accommodation pre-booked, bags packed with essentials, provisions for the journey assembled. This essay explores the metaphor of a journey, with the particular Italian twist that informs the work of the artists gathered together in the exhibition The Weight of Sunlight.
Notes
On the beach by Charles Simpson
This article first appeared as 'Seaside outing displays a lightness of touch' in The Press on 24 April 2018.
Notes
Among the sandhills by Adrian Stokes
This article first appeared as 'Sandhills painting's life as nomadic as artist's' in The Press, 15 August 2017.