17th Century Masterpieces from the Museums
of FRAME
(French Regional and American Museum
Exchange)
Making its world premiere, this exhibition of 41
stellar works, drawn from the French and American museums of FRAME,
presents the very highest level of work from a century when painting
emerged as one of the splendors of French culture. The Triumph of French
Painting includes the best-known French painters of the age, including
Georges de La Tour and Nicolas Poussin, alongside stunning masterworks
by other artists who played vital roles in making Paris the world's
artistic center for centuries to come. The paintings in this exhibition
offer an introduction to the power and range of the art form as it was
developed first by the Church, addressing the emotional needs of society,
and then by the state, enlisting artists in Louis XIV's campaign of
glory.
The
opening of the exhibition in Portland this fall occurs on the fifth
anniversary of FRAME. The consortium FRAME
was conceived by Elizabeth Rohatyn as a component of the program of
her husband Felix Rohatyn, who as U.S. Ambassador to France (1997- 2000)
sought to extend exchanges beyond the capital cities. FRAME has become
a beacon of bilateral cultural diplomacy, having brought together museum
professionals from France and the United States to form joint projects
and to share ideas. The organization has mounted three previous major
exhibitions, but The Triumph of French Painting represents the first
collaboration of all 18 member museums in FRAME.
View
the works in the exhibition 
Suggested
reading list
Organized
By the Portland Art Museum and supported by FRAME
Honorary Patrons
His Excellency Jean-David Levitte, Ambassador of France and Madame Levitte
Grand Patron
Nani S. Warren
Major Sponsors
FRAME and the Pamplin Foundation
Sponsors
Maybelle Clark Macdonald Fund • The
Boeing Company • COLUMBIA MANAGEMENT
• David and Dolorosa Margulis •
Standard Insurance Company •
Dr. John and Sabine Wild • The Portland
Tribune • 97.1 KISN FM
• 5th Avenue
Suites Hotel • Domaine Drouhin
last updated
Monday, August 9, 2004 7:42
