‘LOOKING AND LUNCHING’ AT CLARK ART INSTITUTE FOCUSES ON ALTARPIECE

For Immediate Release
October 4, 2018

Williamstown, Massachusetts—The Clark Art Institute’s “Looking and Lunching” program continues on Thursday, October 18 at noon with a discussion of one of the Clark’s most important works, an early fourteenth-century altarpiece by Ugolino di Nerio (Italian, active c. 1317–1339/49). Curatorial Assistant Regina Noto leads a half-hour talk in the galleries, followed by continued discussion over lunch with fellow art lovers.

This event is free with gallery admission; limited seating is available. Plan to arrive early to pre-order and purchase your meal or bring your own lunch. Participants should meet at the admissions desk in the Clark Center.

Once placed on the high altar of a Franciscan church, Virgin and Child with Saints Francis, Andrew, Paul, Peter, Stephen, and Louis of Toulouse is one of the best-preserved and earliest known seven-paneled altarpieces. Its survival is remarkable.

The altarpiece was the first major acquisition by the Clark Art Institute after the deaths of Robert Sterling Clark and his wife, Francine. It is characterized by simplicity of composition, psychological directness, and opulent materials, such as gold and ground semiprecious stones.

ABOUT THE CLARK

The Clark Art Institute, located in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts, is one of a small number of institutions globally that is both an art museum and a center for research, critical discussion, and higher education in the visual arts. Opened in 1955, the Clark houses exceptional European and American paintings and sculpture, extensive collections of master prints and drawings, English silver, and early photography. Acting as convener through its Research and Academic Program, the Clark gathers an international community of scholars to participate in a lively program of conferences, colloquia, and workshops on topics of vital importance to the visual arts. The Institute’s library, consisting of more than 275,000 volumes, is one of the nation’s premier art history libraries. The Clark, which also houses and co-sponsors the Williams College Graduate Program in the History of Art, has a three-star rating in the Michelin Green Guide.

The Clark is located at 225 South Street in Williamstown, Massachusetts. Galleries are open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm. Admission is $20; free year-round for Clark members, children 18 and younger, and students with valid ID. Free admission is available through several programs, including First Sundays Free; a local library pass program; EBT Card to Culture; Bank of America Museums on Us; and Blue Star Museums. For more information on these programs and more, visit clarkart.edu or call 413 458 2303.

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