"Mary Wollstonecraft
Shelley," Richard Rothwell, circa 1840. Oil on canvas from the
collection of the National Portrait Gallery, London.
NEW HAVEN, CONN. - The Romantic movement was a time of turbulent
change and limitless opportunity. The cultural, political and
social landscape of Europe forever changed, and the flourishing
printmakers of Britain captured this explosion of creativity in
great detail.
"s," on view at the Yale Center for British Art through March 30,
features works from the center's permanent collection that
include some of the most compelling artistic statements of this
extraordinary period.
Printmaking thrived in Britain during the late Eighteenth and
early Nineteenth Centuries, providing an ideal vehicle for visual
artists who were constantly exploring new means to capture the
"Spirit of the Age." Many painters turned to graphic media,
either working independently or collaborating closely with
professional engravers to create forceful and immediate works.
"s" encompasses several important themes, including the period's
obsession with the past and contemporary events, such as the
French and American Revolutions, the Napoleonic Wars, and the
Greek War of Independence. As momentous historical events
unfolded, they were captured by contemporary engravers, whose
prints functioned as photographs or television footage do today,
powerfully evoking the intense and often bitter struggles of this
"Age of Liberty."
The exhibition explores artists' fascination with the natural
world, including both exotic sites of imperial conquest and
indigenous landscapes. It also examines the close relationship
between literature and the visual arts through images ranging
from large-scale engravings from the center's Shakespeare Gallery
to exquisite, tiny vignettes engraved from watercolors by J.M.W.
Turner to illustrate the works of Byron, Milton and Sir Walter
Scott. The exhibition probes the depths of the complex and often
tortured Romantic psyche, featuring prints by George Stubbs,
Henry Fuseli, and the great visionary artist-engravers William
Blake and John Martin.
"s" complements the concurrent exhibition, "Romantics &
Revolutionaries: Regency Portraits from the National Portrait
Gallery, London," and provides an expanded context against which
portraits can be viewed. "The Romantic Print" showcases a wide
range of engraved portraits, and demonstrates how prints played a
crucial role in the creation of the celebrity status of their
subjects. A section devoted to the cult of the hero features
images related to Lord Byron, the ultimate iconic figure of the
Romantic period, and provides an in-depth account of the
engraving and publication history of William Woollett's
celebrated print of Benjamin West's influential painting, "The
Death of General Wolfe."
Visitors will have the opportunity to see examples of a wide
range of printmaking techniques. Samples of aquatint, etching,
mezzotint, line-engraving, lithography, relief etching and
stipple will be shown, along with rare progress proofs,
printmaking tools and plates.
The Yale Center for British Art is at 1080 Chapel Street (on
the corner of High Street). For information, 203-432-2800 or
www.yale.edu/ycba.
