Displaying items by tag: san antonio museum of art

The Milwaukee Art Museum presents Thomas Sully: Painted Performance, the first retrospective of the 19^th century portrait painter in 30 years. Thomas Sully, who was known for his dramatic and theatrical style, even composed some of his paintings as if the subjects were onstage.

The exhibition features about 80 works from public and private collections and allows viewers a comprehensive glimpse into the oeuvre of one of the most innovative early American painters.

Painted Performance will be on view at the Milwaukee Art Museum through January 5, 2014 and will go on view at the San Antonio Museum of Art starting February 5, 2014.

There was plenty of excitement when the San Antonio Museum of Art’s exhibition, Aphrodite and the Gods of Love, opened on September 15. Since then, the show has turned into a source of controversy. Organized by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the exhibition features 125 statues, vases, terracotta and bronze figures, mirrors and jewelry from the MFA and seven works from the Museo Archeologico Nazionale in Naples, Italy. Aphrodite is the first exhibition to focus on the art of ancient Greece in the San Antonio Museum of Art’s history.

A 2,000-year-old statuette of Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, has been used in promotional material to spread the word about the rare exhibit and has left some people in shock. The San Antonio Current, San Antonio Magazine, San Antonio Jewish Journal, and San Antonio Business Journal all ran the advertisement without question. Three other publications as well as the San Antonio International Airport refused to promote the exhibition as long as a nude Aphrodite was featured in the ad.

While the controversy has some people flustered, it has brought a good amount of attention to the San Antonio Museum and the exhibition. Aphrodite will be on view through February 17, 2013.