PRESENTS

March 25 through May 15, 1998

An exhibition featuring fifteenth thru nineteenth-century prints of Italy. "The Lure of Italy: Views from the 15th century to the present," recalls a series of "vedute"prints that captivate the phenomena of tourism in Italy. These prints were often valued as souvenirs of European and American tourist. The prints depict popular tourist sites such as, Rome, Venice, and Florence; or composite sites that combine various buildings and sculptural fragments. This exhibition will feature work on loan from the Newark Library, the Seton Hall Special Collections Center, and private collections in New Jersey.
 

"The Lure of Italy: Views from the 15th century to the present," will feature a series of "vedute" prints that embrace the culture of tourism in Italy. This exhibition will present not only the artistic account of tourism in Italy throughout the centuries, but the actual intricacies of the printmaking process. This exhibition opens at the Seton Hall Walsh Library Gallery on March25, 1998 and will remain on view through May 15, 1998. According to the curatorial staff, Hardison, McVeigh, Pellegrino, and Pifko, the showing of these prints is a wonderful opportunity to explore the phenomena of tourism in Italy and the various printmaking techniques used. The prints that will be presented capture the lure and nostalgia enticed by the noble monuments that speak of Italy's glorious past. A variety of printmaking techniques from engraving to lithography will be presented. The artists that will be presented in the exhibition range from the very well known Piranesi, to the less celebrated yet talented artist, Otto H. Backer. The exhibit will display a comprehensive collection of work that spans the late 15th century to contemporary work of the 1950's. Classical engraving prints rendered in great detail by Piranesi capture the glory of popular Italian monuments such as, The Temple of Neptune at Paestum and the Vedutainte del Panteon. Artist Celestino Celestini relays the spirit of Italy in a subtle way through his gentle rendering, Houses in Rome. Complementing his work is aprint by Otto Backer, entitled 4th Proof, St. Mary's, that reflects the rich culture of spirituality present in Italy. In conjunction with this lure of Italy, contemporary artist such as Rudy 0. Pozzalli, capture tourism with a modernist rendition in works such as Venetian Sun. These works together present an unprecedented universal view of Italy's wounderous affect on artists to create and tourist to collect.

Admission to the exhibition is free.

The Seton Hall University Walsh Library Gallery hours are Monday through Friday 10:30-4:30, groups by appointment.

Seton Hall University is located in South Orange, New Jersey, and the gallery is located on the first level of the Library.

For further information about the Seton Hall University Walsh Library Gallery, please call  JoAnn Cotz  (973) 275-2033.