Press Release
Press Release The Night Sky in the Age of Vermeer: The Astronomer in Context August 8, 2009 through January 10, 2010 Gallery 344 MINNEAPOLIS, JULY 27, 2009 To coincide with the Minneapolis Institute of Arts’ (MIA) exhibition “The Louvre and the Masterpiece” this fall, the museum is mounting a related exhibition that focuses on the Louvre show’s painting, The Astronomer (1668), by Johannes Vermeer (1632–1675). “The Night Sky in the Age of Vermeer: The Astronomer in Context,” on view August 8, 2009, through January 10, 2010, will bring visitors into the scientific and cultural world of 17th-century astronomy through an examination of the prints, books, scientific instruments, and other objects Vermeer depicted in his intriguing and beautiful masterpiece. It is fitting that the museum is presenting an exhibition on this topic, as 2009 is the International Year of Astronomy (IYA), designated by the United Nations, UNESCO, and the International Astronomical Union, to help the citizens of the world rediscover and reflect on Johannes Vermeer, Dutch, 1632–75, The Astronomer, 1668, oil on canvas, Musée du Louvre, the 400 years of changing perspectives Department of Paintings, RF 1983-28, Photo: Erich Lessing/Art Resource, NY about the universe since Galileo first Image files of these artworks and others featured in the exhibition are available. used the telescope to study the skies. Visit the MIA Press Room to log in for access. “The Night Sky” will be presented in one gallery, creating an intimate environment filled with objects similar to those shown in Vermeer’s painting. Drawing mainly on the MIA’s strong collection of large, hand-colored prints, the exhibition presents a range of interpretations of the cosmos.
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