Into the Image
Friday October 11, 2019 - Sunday November 24, 2019 (Closed October 18–23, 2019)
James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903). The Wine Glass, 19th century. Etching on laid paper. Second of two states. Plate: 83 x 55 mm (3.3 x 2.2 in.). Sheet: 148 x 116 mm (5.8 x 4.6 in.). DAC accession number 1954.2.32. Gift of Mr. and Mrs. David Keppel (hon. degree Wesleyan 1929) in memory of George W. Davison (BA Wesleyan 1892), 1954. Open Access Image from the Davison Art Center, Wesleyan University (photo: T. Rodriguez).
What lies behind the miniature’s mysterious power to draw us in? Anyone who has gazed at a book illustration or spent hours enthralled by a smartphone screen understands the pleasure of absorption that beholding small things can provide. Collectability, demonstration of artistic virtuosity, and intimacy between spectator and object all imbue the miniature with certain charms. Indeed, across historical moments, artists exploited these potentialities of the miniature to captivate their audiences. This exhibition of miniature artworks—drawn entirely from the Davison Art Center collection—features objects made across several centuries, and includes examples by Rembrandt van Rijn and Henri Matisse.