In focus
Page 6: A visitor in front of the “Oehme family’s Home Theatre”, c.1800, from the Puppentheatersammlung “The Art of the Enlightenment” in Beijing, the first visitors to the exhibition TH E ART OF TH E EN LIGHTENMENT It is the most extraordinary and the largest-scale international project in which the <strong>Staatliche</strong> <strong>Kunstsammlungen</strong> <strong>Dresden</strong> have ever been substantially involved: the exhibition “Die Kunst der Aufklärung” (The Art of the Enlightenment), which was opened at the National Museum of China in Beijing on 1 April <strong>2011</strong>. Conceived and organised in association with the <strong>Staatliche</strong> Museen zu Berlin, the Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen Munich and the National Museum of China, this was the first international exhibition to be shown in the newly renovated building located on Tiananmen Square. Opened by Federal Foreign Minister Dr. Guido Westerwelle and Liu Yandong, State Councillor for Culture of the People’s Republic of China, the year-long exhibition provided Chinese and international visitors with a sound and multifaceted view of the Enlightenment as a European cultural epoch. Even though the exhibition is to stay open until March 2012, it is nevertheless possible to make a provisional appraisal at the end of <strong>2011</strong>. The exhibition In an area covering 2700 m² of floor space, the exhibition presented around 600 objects illustrating the full spectrum of the arts during the Enlightenment period – from masterpieces of painting, printmaking and sculpture to handicrafts and costumes, and even to scientific instruments. The objects on loan included works by Chodowiecki, Federal Foreign Minister Dr. Guido Westerwelle and Liu Yandong, State Councillor for Culture of the People’s Republic of China, open the exhibition in the National Museum of China on 1 April <strong>2011</strong> Friedrich, Gainsborough, Goya, Graff, Greuze, Hogarth, Kauffmann, Pesne, Piranesi, Tischbein, Vernet and Watteau. In order to do justice to the different aspects and themes of this highly significant period, the exhibition tour was divided into nine sections. The section entitled “Court life during the Age of Enlightenment” formed a kind of prologue, focusing on the Baroque and Enlightenment courts in Berlin, <strong>Dresden</strong> and Munich. The section called “Perspectives of Knowledge” considered the immense influence of the natural sciences on life during this period and its effects on artistic perspectives. The section on “The Birth of History” showed a new awakening of historical awareness in the 18th century. Fascination not only with past ages but, in particular, with foreign and exotic cultures was the theme in the section entitled “Far and Near”, which also considered relations between Europe and China. Under the title “Love and Sensibility” attention was focused on how the meaning of love, friendship and empathy changed during the course of the 18th century, as did also attitudes to landscapes and natural forces – a process which was investigated in the section called “Back to Nature”. The theme of “Dark Sides” drew attention to the sinister aspects of unfettered rationality, as expressed for example in Goya’s “Caprichos”. The next section, “Emancipation and Publicity”, showed how the ideas and images of the Enlightenment were circulated by means of the nascent mass media. Towards the end of the exhibition tour, attention was drawn to contemporary art, raising the question as to the significance of 18th-century ideas for artistic creativity 7
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- Page 40 and 41: 40 Franziska Holstein, “Untitled
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56 The royal hair ornament from Kor
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scientific and research projects
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60 A visit to the Porzellansammlung
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62 Only two 16th-century fish glue
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64 Count Friedrich Leopold von Brü
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With kind support
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68 The Friends of the Dresden galle
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70 In connection with the Third Sax
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72 Porzellansammlung sPONsORs AN D
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74 Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresd
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Visitors
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78 During a press conference Dr. St
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80 A trilingual website as an infor
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82 A guided tour for children in th
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84 Visitor numbers in the museums o
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86 Economic data Budget 2007/08 (fi
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News in brief
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90 Franka Hornschemeyer, “discret
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Museum Buildings
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94 A view of the new frame workshop
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96 Visual image of the winding rib
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Prospects
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100 Peter Krauskopf, “No. 89/06
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102 I NsTITUTIONs Edouard Manet,
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104 PU B LIcATION DETAI Ls © Staat