Burlington, VT- This spring, the galleries of the Robert Hull Fleming Museum will play host to two outstanding
exhibitions featuring a fascinating and uncommon exploration of the darker side of the human condition.
An exceptional display of Francisco Goya's celebrated Los Caprichos (1799) will headline the offerings. Featuring
the complete set of 80 black and white prints, Los Caprichos is a masterpiece of both artistic expression and social
commentary by one of the greatest artists of the late 18th century. An illustrated discourse on the corruption and
degeneracy of Goya's time, Goya's Los Caprichos is at once an arresting and thought-provoking experience, filled
with pathos, humor and criticism. The museum will host a grand opening celebration on February 16 with the show
continuing through May 14.
Opening at the same time will be The Inferno of Dante by Michael Mazur, a contemporary interpretation of the
images that greeted Dante Alighieri during his unforgettable tour through the depths of hell. The 41 black and
white prints, originally commissioned to illustrate American Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky's recent translation of
Dante's 14th century Italian classic, reflect a haunting but ultimately redeeming journey. The Inferno of Dante
by Michael Mazur will close at the same time as the Goya exhibition on, May 14.
A respite from the visual intensity of our print exhibitions, the Museum's Wilbur Room will house a collection of
Artists' Books, books that are created and fabricated by artists. On loan from the University of Vermont's Special
Collections, the books demonstrate the extraordinary range of creativity brought to the book format. The show
opens January 17 and runs through the end of semester, closing June 4. Two rotations of artists' books will be
on display during this exhibition: the first running through March 19th and the second beginning on March 21st.
Throughout the winter and spring, the museum will compliment the three large exhibitions with a continuing
line-up of programming that explores these historical and contemporary works of art from a rich mix of social,
historical, literary, and artistic perspectives. Among the many scheduled events is a poetry reading of Dante's
Inferno by American Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky and a screening of Giuseppe de Liguoro's 1911 film, L'Inferno,
the first full length Italian film made and featuring a special effect laden journey through Dante's poem.
These three exhibitions and their related programming mark the first of a year long series of exciting events organized
to celebrate the Fleming's 75th anniversary as Vermont's leading museum of art and culture.
Notes: The exhibition Francisco Goya: Los Caprichos is organized by Landau Traveling Exhibitions, Los Angeles, CA.
The Inferno of Dante by Michael Mazur is circulated by Curatorial Assistance, Los Angeles, CA. Connell Gallagher, director of
special collections at the University of Vermont's Bailey/Howe library is curator of Artists' Books; Selections
from UVM's Special Collections.
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Image Info:
Francisco de Goya (1746-1828), The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters, (Plate 43 of Los Caprichos, 1797-1799.
Etching and aquatint.
Courtesy of Landau Traveling Exhibitions, Los Angeles, CA. (16.4MB)
Download High Resolution Image
Image Info:
Michael Mazur (b.1935), Canto IV: Limbo, 1996.
Etching and aquatint.
Courtesy Curatorial Assistance, Los Angeles, CA. (7MB)
Download High Resolution Image
Image Info: Altar Book for Gorecki, 1996. Robin Price, Publisher
Wood boards hinged with vellum.
Courtesy UVM Special Collections, Bailey/Howe Library, UVM. (2.7MB)
FLEMING MUSEUM SPRING EXHIBTIONS:
Francisco Goya: Los Caprichos
DATES: Thursday, February 16 through Sunday, May 14
The Inferno of Dante by Michael Mazur
DATES: Thursday, February 16 through Sunday, May 14
Artists' Books: Selections from UVM's Special Collections
DATES: Tuesday, January 17 through Sunday, June 4
ADMISSION:
$5 adults. $10 family, $3 students and seniors. Free to: Museum members; faculty, staff and students of UVM,
Burlington College, Champlain College, Community College of Vermont, and St. Michael's College;
Children 6 and under.
