Fireworks at Hemissem, ca. 1650–51,Wenceslaus Hollar (Bohemian, 1607–1677), Etching. Promised Gift of Frank Raysor, L.139.2010.10
This is the first in a series of blog posts discussing highlights of the exhibition A Celebration of Print: 500 Years of Graphic Art from the Frank Raysor Collection currently on display in VMFA’s Mellon Focus Galleries. Admission to this exhibition is free.
As we celebrate VMFA’s 75th anniversary, we must consider this year one of the most important in the institution’s history because of the promised gift of approximately 10,000 prints from Richmond-raised collector Frank Raysor. This most generous promised gift will increase VMFA’s collection by over a third – a stunning leap forward for the museum which also has never had a very strong print presence. This will change when in the next few years we will inaugurate a new Center for the Study of Works on Paper.
We inaugurate the collection with an exhibition of a selection of 100 highly important prints from the Raysor collection in the Mellon Focus Galleries. It opens Saturday and continues through May 22nd. Don’t miss this opportunity to explore a whole world of graphic art ranging from a late 15th century religious woodcut to a 2001 abstract serigraph by contemporary artist Richard Prince. The exhibition includes both great names such as Dürer, Rembrandt, Goya, Tiepolo, Turner, Whistler, and Matisse as well as more specialized and highly prized artists such as Wenceslaus Hollar, Charles Meryon, and Félix Bracquemond.
Please visit this free exhibition early and often – a whole world of prints for you to enjoy.
— Mitchell Merling, Paul Mellon Curator and Curator of European Art