William Blake
Organized by
London's Tate Britain gallery and The Metropolitan
Museum of Art, this is the first major American exhibit in several
decades of works by the great Romantic poet, artist, and visionary.
And high time! Skeptical yet God-obsessed, Blake foresaw the
horrors of modern industrialization and authoritarianism, and his
engravings, watercolors, and illuminated book illustrations
presented an alternative, a world filled with innocence and light.
The tiger burns bright in these more than 175 works.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, March 29 -
June 24 (212-535-7710;
www.metmuseum.org)
Treasures From a Lost Civilization: Ancient Chinese Art from
Sichuan
The archaeological discoveries in
China just never stop. Fourteen
years ago, a previously unrecorded Bronze Age civilization in
Sichuan Province was uncovered, dramatically changing scholars'
understanding of Chinese history. Now, for the first time, 127
bronze, jade, and clay objects from that site, including human
images, vessels, and weapons, are being shown outside China.
Seattle Art Museum, May 10 - August 12 (206-654-3255;
www.seattleartmuseum.org)
Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, September 30 - January 13,
2002 (817-332-8451;
www.kimbellart.org)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, March 5 -
June 16, 2002 (212-535-7710;
www.metmuseum.org)
Over the Line: The Art and Life of Jacob Lawrence
This show was already in the works when Lawrence died last summer
at age 82, so what was planned as a major retrospective has become
a moving tribute. Many of the more than 150 paintings and drawings
have never been shown before. Our loss. His vivid and bold works of
art are also striking documents of black American history, much of
which Lawrence witnessed.