: Ravens and black cats emerge from the shadows at The Baltimore
Museum of Art in "Haunting Visions of Poe: Illustrations by
Manet, Matisse & Gauguin," on display from September 17
through January 11.
This one-gallery exhibition features 20 prints and drawings by
modern French artists that translate Edgar Allen Poe's dark
genius into the realm of visual art. The exhibition also includes
first-edition books of Poe's illustrated works and portraits of
the legendary Baltimore citizen by Manet and Matisse.
Actor John Astin, best known as Gomez of The Addams
Family, will stage a dramatic reading of "The Raven" at the
BMA's first free Thursday on October 2.
"Edgar Allan Poe's vision of terror continues to influence
everything from art to pop culture," said BMA Director Doreen
Bolger. "This exhibition shows the beginnings of a Poe
fascination that has swept the world."
Widely celebrated for his poems and short stories, Poe created
the detective tale and perfected the psychological thriller. The
author is best-known for "The Raven," which earned him fame in
the United States, as well as stories such as "Fall of the House
of Usher," "The Black Cat" and "The Tell-Tale Heart." Long before
achieving widespread appreciation in America, however, Poe's
genius was discovered abroad when French poets such as Charles
Baudelaire and Stephane Mallarmé translated many of his works,
and renowned artists such as Edouard Manet and Henri Matisse
illustrated their printed pages.
For visitors unfamiliar with Poe's writing, the exhibition
includes a Reading Corner to his poems and stories against a
backdrop of unsettling Poe-inspired art. Most of the works in the
exhibition are drawn from the BMA's outstanding collection of
works on paper, as well as from the Maryland Historical Society,
the Enoch Pratt Free Library, and The Johns Hopkins University's
Milton Eisenhower Library.
"Haunting Vision of Poe" was curated by Bolger and the students
from her spring 2003 class at The Johns Hopkins University.
The museum is open Wednesday through Friday, 11 am until 5 pm;
Saturday and Sunday, 11 am until 6 pm; and during the first
Thursday of every month (except major holidays), 11 am until 8
pm. Admission is $7. The BMA is on Art Museum Drive at North
Charles and 31st Streets. For information 410-396-7100 or
artbma.org.
