The Meadows Museum has acquired a major work by Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes, a portrait of Mariano Goya, the artist’s grandson, painted in 1827. The work, which has not been on display for more than 40 years, is one of Goya’s last paintings, finished only months before his death. Funding for the acquisition was provided by The Meadows Foundation and a gift from Mrs. Eugene McDermott, which counts toward SMU’s Second Century Campaign.
“The Meadows Museum will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2015, and the acquisition of this extraordinary work by Goya is a wonderful way to begin that celebration,” says Mark A. Roglán, the Linda P. and William A. Custard Director of the Meadows Museum and Centennial Chair in the Meadows School of the Arts. “The work stands at the pivotal last phase of Goya’s career and will serve as a linchpin in our growing collection.”
The Meadows Museum is planning a range of special exhibitions and events leading up to the celebration of its 50th anniversary in 2015. Among them is the exhibition Sorolla and America December 13, 2013-April 19, 2014, which explores Joaquín Sorolla’s unique relationship with the United States in the early 20th century. Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida (1863-1923) was the most internationally known Spanish artist until the arrival of Pablo Picasso (1881-1973).
The exhibition, which will feature nearly 160 paintings, oil sketches and drawings, is curated by the artist’s great-granddaughter, Blanca Pons-Sorolla. It includes numerous works from The Hispanic Society of America, which has been a major supporter of the project. After Dallas, the exhibition will travel to The San Diego Museum of Art in May and to Fundación MAPFRE in Madrid in September.
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