Class Distinctions. Dutch Painting in the Age of Rembrandt and Vermeer

October 11, 2015 – January 18, 2016
http://www.mfa.org

From princes to regents to milkmaids, Dutch artists in the time of Rembrandt and Vermeer portrayed levels of society from highest to lowest in brilliant color and detail.

Organized by the MFA, this groundbreaking exhibition proposes a new approach to understanding 17th-century Dutch painting. Through 75 carefully selected, beautifully preserved portraits, genre scenes, landscapes and seascapes borrowed from European and American public and private collections—including masterpieces never before seen in the United States—the show reflects, for the first time, the ways in which paintings represent the various socioeconomic groups of the new Dutch Republic, from the Princes of Orange to the most indigent of citizens.

Class distinctions had meaning and were expressed in the type of work depicted (or the lack thereof), costumes, a figure’s comportment and behavior, and his physical environment. Arranged according to 17th-century ideas about social stratification, paintings by artists such as Rembrandt, Vermeer, Jan Steen, Pieter de Hooch, Gerard ter Borch and Gabriel Metsu, are divided broadly into three classes—upper, middle and lower—and within them, into sub-groups. Princes, regents and milkmaids are among the figures in the thematic groupings, reflecting the social order of the new Dutch Republic. Viewers are encouraged to look closely at the images for clues that differentiate a mistress from a maid, or distinguish a noble from a social-climbing merchant.

In the Steps of the Master. Pupils of Hokusai

August 29, 2015 – February 15, 2016
http://www.mfa.org/

Yashima Gakutei, Pangu (Banko shi), from the series A Set of Ten Famous Numerals for the Katsushika Circle (Katsushikaren meisu juban), about 1821

The amazing versatility of the great Katsushika Hokusai is reflected in the work of his many pupils, who were inspired by their master to produce outstanding prints and paintings of many different subjects: beautiful women, historical warriors, landscapes, still lifes, and fabulous monsters. This exhibition examines the first wave of Hokusai’s impact on the Japanese art world, during his own lifetime and shortly thereafter, as seen in the work of the artists who studied with him in person.

Hokusai’s influence was especially strong in the area of surimono, privately commissioned prints made with the finest materials and techniques that were often exchanged as gifts by the affluent members of amateur poetry clubs. Three of the most important and prolific designers of surimono—Shinsai, Hokkei, and Gakutei—were all pupils of Hokusai. The combination of skill and ingenuity that these artists shared with their teacher made their work extremely attractive to the surimono patrons.

Prints and drawings from a century of change by England’s great artists

July 11, 2015 – February 21, 2016
http://www.mfa.org/

This survey of more than 50 British prints and drawings from the 20th century features rarely seen works from the MFA’s collection as well as recent acquisitions and loans. Ranging from an 1890s drawing of Brittany by Post Impressionist Robert Bevan to a 1999 etching by Lucian Freud—perhaps the greatest figural artist of his generation—this selection presents a surprising mixture of subjects and styles. Highlights of the exhibition are streamlined color linocuts made by Grosvenor School artists Cyril Power, Sybil Andrews, and Lill Tschudi, while abstract works on view demonstrate the “Vorticist” style—a uniquely British variant of Futurism and Cubism. Other sections of the exhibition touch on landscape, architecture, and the music hall; differing depictions of the human figure (including works by Henry Moore and David Hockney); and the British Pop explosion of the 1960s.