The Benton's newest exhibit, which includes the painting above will go from Nov. 6 to May 11.

Sights Of 'Rome, Italy And Europe' At Benton

By: Natalie Abreu

Posted: 11/7/07

Luminous landscapes with rocky mountains, winding trails, full foliage bushes and vines, rushing waters, and a sky full of heavenly clouds that seem to look as if they had been plucked from the sky seem to be a thing of beauty that artistic works not only try to emulate, but try to capture the very tranquil essence of. They engage viewers and make them think about the art work and feel the emotion of the painting in their very souls.

Artistic works of this caliber might sound like they come out of such prestigious museums like the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York or the Louvre in Paris; however, one would find such extraordinary paintings only a stone's throw away at UConn's very own Benton Museum of Art.

The Benton's new art exhibition "Rome, Italy and Europe," began its run on Tuesday and will run until May 11, 2008.

The exhibition focuses on Rome's artistic influence as "the source of the western European classical tradition" throughout the art of Italy and Europe in the 17th century to the early 19th century and also "reflects the various ways the classical tradition and the Roman landscape influenced European art."

Dr. Thomas Bruhn, the curator of the Benton Museum of Art, described how the exhibition was inspired by a single 17th century painting entitled "Italianate Landscape with Sleeping Youth and Sculpture" by Dutch Baroque Era painter Jan Weenix which came to the museum last spring. In the painting, influences in Italian architecture can be seen with the Castel Sant' Angelo, ancient ruins of Rome and a classical 16th century style sculptural group. It is apparent that this painting represents the whole ardent feeling behind the exhibition.

The exhibition, located in the Evelyn Simon Gillman Gallery, is comprised of various paintings and prints made from wood block etchings both from the museum's own collections and from private collections that all focus on how Northern Europe was fascinated by the Italian landscape through the 17th to early 19th centuries. Paintings include works from Dutch, Flemish, French and English artists who were all drawn to Italy, which was still the center of the classical world and admired aspects of the Italian landscape and Roman Classicism. This utilization of Roman Classicism can also be seen in the use of classical literature such as the Bible or Plato's "Symposium" to inspire artwork.

While the most paintings and prints capture the luminescent nature of the Italian landscape, their immense attention to detail also makes the artworks interesting so that with every glance, a viewer will notice something new, engaging and will certainly be more appreciative of the artwork. People performing everyday chores, traveling down snaking roads, walking and talking about and even appreciating the breathtaking views are just some of the countless details to notice as a viewer glances upon the artworks.

"Our expectations is that others will benefit from the exhibition," said Bruhn, who further described that the exhibition is not only about having pieces of artwork on the wall for the sake of art, but for students and other members of the university community to actually learn from and hopefully enjoy the educational as well as beautiful nature of the exhibition. "This is an exhibition about the history of artwork."

The exhibition's message about education through art seem to reach some students browsing about the exhibition, who showed their interest in the exhibition and details within the artworks.

Not only does the "Rome, Italy and Europe" art exhibition at the Benton educate viewers about Italy and Rome's profound impact on European art, but also shows the power of art to captivate and inspire countless generations of viewers that transcends time and continents.

Contact Natalie Abreu at

Natalie.Abreu@UConn.edu.