Nancy E. Edwards, curator of European art/head of academic services, Kimbell Art Museum
This lecture focuses on the Kimbell’s recently acquired painting by the leading Austrian painter of his time, Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller (1793–1865), whose extraordinary and innovative works are rare in American museums. The meticulous, lifelike execution of the feisty dog’s watch over the lavish display of grapes speaks to the artist’s virtuosity and his conviction that observation of nature is the foundation of art. The talk will place the painting in the context of contemporary Vienna and explore the passionate interests of its earliest owner, the textile merchant Rudolf von Arthaber, in art, commerce, and viticulture.
These lectures, part of a continuing series, introduce the permanent collection and selected exhibitions on view at the Kimbell. They are free and open to the public.