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. “The Night Sky” will be enriched by two key loans in October — the astrolabe and Gerard Mercator’s celestial globe, both from the Adler Planetarium in Chicago — when “The Louvre and the Masterpiece” opens.

Minneapolis Institute of Arts 2400 Third Avenue South Minneapolis, MN 55404 Phone (612) 870-3000 Fax (612) 870-3253 www.artsmia.org In Vermeer’s painting, the astronomer is represented studying and turning a celestial globe; an elaborate brass astrolabe and a copy of Adriaan Metius’s 1621 astronomy book are found on his desk. The globe and astrolabe, borrowed from the Adler Planetarium, and the book borrowed from the James Ford Bell Library in Minneapolis, provide a tangible link to Vermeer’s painting and the world of astronomy in his time. A Japanese robe, similar to the one worn in Vermeer’s Astronomer, will bring the painting to life.

Each object in Vermeer’s painting was carefully selected not only to create a beautiful room, but also to signify the Andreas Cellarius, Dutch, c. 1596–1665, Map of the Constellations of the Northern Hemisphere, astronomer’s worldly sophistication and hand-colored engraving, from the Harmonia Macrocosmica, Amsterdam, 1660 (1708 edition), The Minnich Collection, The Ethel Morrison Van Derlip Fund scholarly intellect. This ancillary show will unpack Vermeer’s masterpiece, showcase the MIA’s print collection, and illuminate important themes in the painting, and in the Louvre exhibition.

Press contacts Anne-Marie Wagener, Director of Public Relations, [email protected], (612) 870-3280 Tammy Pleshek, Public Relations Specialist, [email protected], (612) 870-3171

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About the Minneapolis Institute of Arts The Minneapolis Institute of Arts (MIA), home to one of the finest encyclopedic art collections in the country, houses more than 80,000 works of art representing 5,000 years of world history. Highlights of the permanent collection include European masterworks by Rembrandt, Poussin, and van Gogh; modern and contemporary painting and sculpture by Picasso, Matisse, Mondrian, Stella, and Close; as well as internationally significant collections of prints and drawings, decorative arts, Modernist design, photographs, textiles, and Asian, African, and Native American art. General admission is always free. Some special exhibitions have a nominal admission fee. Museum hours: Sunday, 11 A.M.–5 P.M.; Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, 10 A.M.–5 P.M.; Thursday, 10 A.M.–9 P.M.; Monday closed. For more information, call (612) 870-3000 or visit www.artsmia.org.

Minneapolis Institute of Arts 2400 Third Avenue South Minneapolis, MN 55404 Phone (612) 870-3000 Fax (612) 870-3253 www.artsmia.org