what's on may - august 2015

WHAT’S ONMay - August 2015

WATERCOLOURElements of nature

opens 16 June

Tim KnoxDirector and Marlay Curator

This summer, we celebrate the Museum’s collections with seven exhibitions and seven displays. Highlights include Treasured Possessions featuring some 300 beautiful and thought-provoking objects, many from our reserves and unseen for years, which tell us about the tastes and aspirations of their original owners from the Renaissance to the dawn of the Enlightenment. Watercolour: Elements of nature also delves into our stores, presenting the fragile masterpieces of the watercolour technique, ranging from jewel-like portrait miniatures of Elizabethan courtiers, to rarely seen works by J. S. Cotman and Paul Cézanne. This is complemented by a separate show of dazzling watercolours from the Museum’s collection by J.M.W. Turner.

The display of the Rothschild bronzes continues to pull people in, following their recent attribution to Michelangelo. We invite you to make your own mind up in the gallery and to carry on this fascinating debate in the lead up to the international conference on 6 July at Downing College, Cambridge.

This season we’re also pleased to have been able to re-display a selection of masterpieces in the Twentieth-Century Gallery (11), and we’re delighted to be able to present, for the first time, The Kiss of Judas in the Rothschild Gallery (32). Acquired following a public appeal in 2011, this mysterious masterpiece of late

Medieval English ecclesiastical painting emerges to public view after years of painstaking restoration by conservators at the Hamilton Kerr Institute.

Just before Christmas 2014 the Fitzwilliam Museum was the successful bidder in a London auction for a luxurious, seventeenth-century, collector’s cabinet which will go on display in the Flower Paintings Gallery (17) from May. The ebony cabinet was made in Augsburg in south-west Bavaria, Germany, around 1660. Its design is that of a miniature classical temple, enriched with silver-gilt mounts and panels set with precious stones. Its many drawers and ingenious secret compartments were probably once intended to contain precious natural and man-made curiosities. It is not known how many secret drawers and compartments there are – a new one was discovered just the other day.

Another recent acquisition are five rapidly executed sketches by Frank Auerbach sent as birthday cards to his friend, the painter Lucian Freud, each annotated with personal messages. The allocation of these drawings from the Freud Estate has come through the Acceptance in Lieu scheme administered by Arts Council England, which has allocated 35 works from Freud’s collection to museums and galleries across the UK. These charming birthday sketches can be seen in the re-displayed Twentieth-Century Gallery (11) and join our collection of fifty-one works by Auerbach, which includes an important painting, sketchbooks and a complete set of his prints.

2 A Message From the Director

The Fitzwilliam Museum @FitzMuseum_UK

Major Exhibitions 4

Poussin on Tour 8

Special Events 9

Tours 11

Families 12

Young People 15

Exhibitions & Displays 18

Talks 22

Adults 24

Music 26

Lectures & Conferences 28

University of Cambridge Museums 29

Visitor Information 30

Support the Fitzwilliam 31

Cover image: Samuel Palmer (1805-1881), The Magic Apple Tree, 1830 (detail)

3 Contents

Booking for EventsTel: 01223 332904Email: [email protected]

Group Visits All groups must book at least 10 days in advance. Groups of children ages 16 and under must be supervised by an adult at all times.

General EnquiriesTel: 01223 332900Email: [email protected]

ConcessionsConcessionary prices are available to Friends of the Fitzwilliam Museum, 65+, students and those in receipt of benefit.

Location Key 35 Seminar Room

36 Studio

12 Adeane Gallery

10 Octagon Gallery

13 Mellon Gallery

14 Shiba Gallery

16 Charrington Print Room

28 Arts of the Far East

17 Flower Paintings Gallery

7 Italian Art Gallery

27 European Pottery

3 British Art Gallery

33 Arts of the Near East

Exhibitions4

Exhibitions

Stunning landscapes, exquisite portrait miniatures and delicate flower drawings - the collection of watercolours in the Fitzwilliam Museum, by painters including Samuel Palmer and Paul Cézanne, is one of the finest in the world.

Rarely exhibited and in superb condition, the works have been selected to highlight the extraordinary versatility of the medium, showing how it was used from the Middle Ages onwards to paint portrait likenesses, accurately record botanical detail and to capture fleeting moments of nature.

Drawn exclusively from the Fitzwilliam’s outstanding collections, the exhibition will include portrait miniatures by Nicholas Hilliard and Isaac Oliver, botanical drawings by Georg Ehret and Pierre-Joseph Redouté, as well as a series of magnificent landscape watercolours by John Constable, Peter de Wint, John Sell Cotman, Samuel Palmer, J. M. Whistler, John Singer Sargent, Paul Cézanne, Camille Pissarro and Paul Nash.

It will be complemented by an exhibition in the Shiba Gallery of superb watercolours by J.M.W. Turner.

For complementary events see pages 22 & 25

A selection of works from the exhibition are available to purchase via our custom print site: www.fitzwilliamprints.com

WATERCOLOURElements of nature

In 1861, the Museum’s collection of watercolours and drawings was transformed by the gift of twenty-five watercolours by J.M.W. Turner from the writer and critic John Ruskin, Turner’s most fervent champion. Ruskin selected the works to reflect the range of Turner’s achievement; accordingly, this exhibition features drawings made for engraving, book illustration and vignettes, as well as landscape watercolours painted throughout his career. The terms of Ruskin’s gift prevent these watercolours from being lent outside the Museum. This exhibition offers a rare opportunity to view Ruskin’s collection of watercolours by the man he considered ‘the only perfect landscape painter whom the world has ever seen.’

For complementary talksee page 23

Ruskin’s Turners

16 June – 27 September

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16 June – 4 October

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Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775-1851), Venice, storm at sunset, c. 1840-1842 (detail)

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Exhibitions

A dazzling journey through the decorative arts: from the hand-crafted luxuries of the Renaissance to the first stirrings of mass commerce.

Each of the 300 beautiful and engaging objects on display was once a treasured possession, revealing the personal tastes and aspirations of its owner, and preserving precious memories. Taken together, they offer a fascinating insight into our changing relationship with the things that we wear on our bodies and keep in our home.

The exhibition is the result of a collaboration between curators, conservators, academics and students from the Museum, Hamilton Kerr Institute and Cambridge University’s Faculty of History, as well as other outside experts.

Complementary events on pages 9, 10, 14, 23, 24, 25 & 28 Also look out for the special exhibitions and events leaflet

The catalogue is available to buy from the Museum and online shop (£24.99 paperback, £39.95 hardback).

Until 6 September

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OBJECT OF THE MONTH

Throughout the exhibition learn more about some of the fascinating objects within the show, each month, by visiting the exhibition page on the Fitzwilliam Museum website.

Pair of shoes, English, c.1700-30

Exhibition generously supported by

The Monument Trustand other charitable trusts and individuals

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Exhibitions

Fashionable among both men and women, these exquisite and elegant containers were one of the most popular accessories in eighteenth-century Europe. They were often used to hold snuff (a scented preparation of powdered tobacco) or sweetmeats. The most lavish and precious boxes were the choice present of royalty and exemplify court culture and fashion en miniature. Presented here is a selection of nearly sixty boxes from the fine collection of Sir Arthur Gilbert (1913-2001) and his first wife, Rosalinde (1913-1995).


Close-up and Personal: Eighteenth-century gold boxes from the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection

Until 6 September

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A Young Man’s Progress

An impressive display of five modern photographic recreations – printed to large scale – telling the fictional story of Matthew Smith, a young man from North London, who is obsessed with clothes. The modern photographs are based upon images commissioned between 1520 and 1560 by Matthäus Schwarz, one of the most committed fashion innovators of his time. See old and new images juxtaposed, along with a creation made in response to Schwarz’s Renaissance dress. A Young Man’s Progress is a collaboration between sisters, artist photographer Maisie Broadhead and fashion designer Bella Newell (Burberry); and Professor Ulinka Rublack, cultural historian at Cambridge University.


Until 6 September

Courtyard Entrance & staircase, leading to 13 Mellon Gallery landing

Snuffbox engraved with sunburst and scrolls, France, Paris, 1753-54, Jean-François Breton, The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London

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Poussin on Tour

Nicolas Poussin (1594-1665), Extreme Unction, c.1638-40 (detail)

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Nicolas Poussin's Extreme Unction on tour

In 2012 the Fitzwilliam Museum made headlines after raising the final £3.9 million to acquire Nicolas Poussin’s masterpiece Extreme Unction (c. 1638-40). Now this majestic painting will be going on tour to three collections across the country so it can be enjoyed across the nation.

The painting will be travelling to the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool (6 March – 7 June), Scottish National Gallery, Edinburgh (12 June – 13 September), and the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford (18 September – 13 December) – all of which have works by this artist in their collection, and are free to enter.

Extreme Unction (or ‘Final Anointing’) was acquired by the Fitzwilliam Museum through the HM Government’s Acceptance in Lieu scheme, with support from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Art Fund, and numerous charities and public donations. The painting is one of a set of seven scenes representing the sacraments of the Catholic Church, painted in Rome for Poussin’s friend and patron, Cassiano dal Pozzo. It is the most important old master painting to enter the Museum’s collection for over a century, and makes a notable addition to the permanent collection of seventeenth-century French paintings. The painting’s tour across the country will enable even more people to see this masterpiece than ever before.

Special Events

Come and explore the world class collections of the Fitzwilliam Museum and its exhibitions after hours. There will be a variety of special events to choose from throughout the evening, listed below, and the Courtyard Café and Shop will be open late, with refreshments and cakes available from the Café until 20.30.

16.00, 17.00, 19.00 & 20.00

The Imagination MuseumAllow us to introduce you to Mildred, Henry and Harriet, three eccentric tour-guides who will bring to life a series of Museum artefacts through words and movement. The Imagination Museum has been created with choreography by Katie Green, in collaboration with writer Anna Selby, with original music by Max Perryment. It will awaken everyone’s curiosity and desire to explore the nooks and crannies of the Museum space.Admission is by timed ticket released on the day, in batches, from the Museum’s Courtyard Entrance.

Museums at Night Friday 15 May • Open until 21.00 • FREE • Drop-in

18.00David Kindersley – Alphabetician • The Hidden Face of LetteringAn illustrated talk by Lida Kindersley, to complement the Museum display.

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18.30A dedicated follower of fashion: Fashion aficionados from the seventeenth-century and today

A talk with Ulinka Rublack, Maisie Broadhead and Isabella Newell, to complement the display A Young Man’s Progress.

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19.30New oysters, fresh oysters!A performance of sung street cries from the seventeenth and eighteenth-centuries by Caius Consort, to complement the Treasured Possessions exhibition.

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Image © Chris Nash

Special Events

Centrepiece, 1780-1800 (detail), English. Leeds Pottery

Personal belongings from Renaissance to Enlightenment c.1450-1800

Saturday 9 MayKS2 • Ages 7 – 1111.00 – 12.30

KS3 • Ages 11 – 14 13.30 – 15.00

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Cambridge University’s History Department will be hosting two sessions at the Fitzwilliam Museum, looking at the Treasured Possessions exhibition and thinking about the significance of personal belongings. Aimed at school pupils interested in history, more information can be found on: www.hist.cam.ac.uk/events/history-for-schools-2014-2015

Booking Essential

For further information and to book, tel: 01223 332904 or email: [email protected] unless otherwise stated

Art and English Secondary teacher’s INSET

Saturday 4 July10.30 – 13.00

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A specially devised morning for Art and English secondary teachers to meet and share ideas on using art and objects as stimulus for enriched gallery and classroom learning. With a launch of the new A level sessions on Visionaries and Romantics, Shakespeare’s World, The Modernists and an insight to combining the sister arts: Art and Language. Plus a chance to create your own studio based work. £10 booking essential

SAVE THE DATEWriting Lives and Treasured Possessions

Thursday 3 September18.30 – 20.00 Doors open at 18.00

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Join us for a gala reading of works produced by the Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy, award winning writer Ali Smith and novelist, broadcaster and critic Sarah Dunant, in response to the Fitzwilliam’s Treasured Possessions exhibition. The evening also includes a panel discussion with the writers and a final opportunity to view the exhibition after hours.£10

£8 concessions and Friends of the Fitzwilliam Museum Price includes a glass of wineor soft drink

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Tours

Guided toursSaturdays14.30

Enjoy a one-hour introductory tour of the Museum with a Blue Badge Guide. Meet in Courtyard Entrance.£6

Guided tours for private groups are also available through Cambridge Tourist Information Centre, tel: 01223 457574 or email: [email protected]

Touch and Descriptive Tours for blind and partially sighted visitors

Discover the Fitzwilliam Museum’s collections through object handling/audio description in a one hour introductory tour, led by a trained member of the Museum’s education team.

To find out more, and to book, tel: 01223 332904 or email: [email protected]

Image © Martin Bond

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Families

Join in a range of creative workshops designed to promote family learning, giving both adults and children the opportunity to explore the Museum collections together.

Booking essential, unless otherwise stated. To register your interest please tel: 01223 332904 or email: [email protected]. Places will be confirmed on receipt of payment.

Children must be accompanied by an adult throughout the whole duration of the workshop.

It’s Magic!Wednesday 6 May & Tuesday 7 July10.00 – 11.302 – 5 yrsMeet in Courtyard Entrance

Looking at art can be magical. Explore work in the collections and make art of your own in the studio to take home.£3 per child

Baby MagicTuesday 12 May &Wednesday 8 July10.00 – 11.000 – 2 yrsMeet in Courtyard Entrance

This gently structured session allows babies to discover aspects of our collection through sensory exploration of colour, shape, texture, sound and movement. We will enjoy the galleries together and then get creative in the studio.£3 per child

Mapping the MuseumSaturday 23 May10.30 – 12.30 5 – 7 yrsMeet in Courtyard Entrance

Walk through the galleries and travel through time and space linking artefacts to locations throughout the world. Then work with artist Caroline Wendling to create your very own map of the Museum using drawing and collage. £8 per child

Drawing TogetherEduardo Paolozzi: Drawing and collageWednesday 27 May12.00 – 16.00All Ages • FREE • Drop-in 33

Drop-in and draw at the Museum with activities and inspiration available from the Fitz Family Welcome Point.

Lavish peopleSaturday 27 June10.30 – 12.308 – 12 yrsMeet in Courtyard Entrance

Join artist Esther Cooper-Wood to explore Treasured Possessions through discussion and drawing, then use mixed media to create your own portrait based on objects found within the exhibition.£8 per child

Street cook with stove, c.1757–60 (detail)

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Families

Connecting piecesSaturday 18 July

10.30 – 12.308 – 12 yrsMeet in Courtyard Entrance

Explore linked or linking objects with artist Jason Ions. Working as a team create interconnecting sculptural artworks based on objects in the Fitzwilliam collection.£8 per child

Family art week Tuesday 4 –Thursday 6 August Drop-in any time between 11.00 – 13.00 & 14.00 – 16.00All Ages • FREEFront lawn, weather permitting

Create your own works of art to take home or add to our group installation. On each day we will be exploring and experimenting with a different art material, using the Museum’s collections forcreative inspiration.

Gallery TrailsChoose from a selection of themed gallery trails.

Fitz KitsDiscover our range of Fitz Kits with games and puzzles to take you on a journey around the Museum. The new Fitz Kit A Box of Treasures draws upon themes within the Treasured Possessions exhibition.

Story Starters 2 – 6 yrs

Pick up a satchel containing a picture book and activities to help youngsters explore the galleries.

Baby Play Mat0 – 2 yrs

Collect a play mat full of carefully selected resources that connect with themes and objects in the collection.Available at Courtyard Entrance only.

Free Family ResourcesAvailable at both entrances


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Family First Saturdays

On the first Saturday of each month visit our Fitz Family Welcome Point in Gallery 33 and collect drawing materials, activities and trails to use throughout the Museum, exploring a variety of themes.

Saturdays • 14.00 –16.00 • FREE • Drop-in

2 MayTreasured Possessions: Beautiful boxes

6 JuneMeet Fitz and WillHelp the mischievous Cambridge Cats find feline friends around the Museum. Fitz and Will are co-developed by Laura Robson Brown and Katherine Mann and illustrated by Jia Han. There will be Fitz and Will storytelling at 14.30 and 15.30.

4 JulyTreasured Possessions: Personal tastes

1 AugustAntiquities: Sculpture

Families

Images © Martin Bond, except Fitz and Will illustration © Jia Han

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ReSource13 – 18 yrs

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Enjoy art and want to develop your own ideas and projects? Join us in our art studio with a different guest artist each month. These sessions are specifically designed for young people.

Saturdays 11.00 – 13.00

9 MayImprove your drawing skills and experiment with graphite techniques

13 JunePrint making and collage, inspired by examples from MOONSTRIPS

11 JulyPainting and pattern

£5 per sessionBooking essential. Tel: 01223 332904 or email: [email protected]

Work experience taster dayThursday 28 May10.00 – 16.30

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Are you in secondary education and interested in a career in museums? The University of Cambridge Museums has organised a one day event to give students an understanding of the variety of jobs available through Museums. With visits to two museums and talks from several professionals, the event is free and lunch is provided.Booking essential. For more information, and to sign up please provide your name and the school you attend to [email protected]

The University of Cambridge Museums offer a variety of volunteer, work experience, apprenticeship and internship opportunities. For the most up to date information, please visit: www.cam.ac.uk/museums/getinvolved

Stitching workshop with Fine Cell WorkSaturday 16 May14.00 – 16.00Ages 10+See page 24

Young People 15

Free drop-in events at a glance 16

May2 Sat Family First Saturday14.00 –16.00 • Drop-in 33 3 Sun MusicChamber music 13.15 –14.00 3

6 Wed Exhibition Talk The Georgians in coins and medals 13.15 –14.00 35

10 Sun MusicClassical songs13.15 –14.00 3

13 Wed Exhibition Talk Re-constructing Renaissance fashion 13.15 –14.00 35

15 Fri Museums at Night Open until 21.00 • Drop-in Fitzwilliam Museum

17 Sun Music Guitar and cello13.15 –14.00 3

19 Tue Art Speak 13.15 –13.45 • Drop-inCourtyard Entrance

20 Wed Talk Objects for cooking and eating 13.15 –14.00 35

24 Sun Music Piano13.15 –14.00 3

27 Wed Exhibition Talk Snuff-taking, fashion and accessories 13.15 –14.00 35

27 Wed Drawing Together 12.00 –16.00 • Drop-inCourtyard Entrance

31 Sun Music Clarinet and piano 13.15 –14.00 3

Location Key 35 Seminar Room 13 Mellon Gallery 3 British Art Gallery

33 Arts of the Near East 36 Studio


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July1 Wed Exhibition Talk From design to gold box 13.15 –14.00 35

4 Sat Family First Saturday14.00 –16.00 • Drop-in 33

8 Wed Exhibition Talk Ruskin’s Turners 13.15 –14.00 & 14.30 –15.15 14


15 Wed Exhibition Talk Objects of devotion 13.15 –14.00 35

August1 Sat Family First Saturday14.00 – 16.00 • Drop-in 33

4 Tue – 6 Thu Family Art Week11.00 - 13.00 & 14.00-16.00Drop-in 36

June6 Sat Family First Saturday 14.00 –16.00 • Drop-in 33

7 Sun Music Harp 13.15 –14.00 3

10 Wed Exhibition Talk Rococo enamelled snuffboxes 13.15 –14.00 35


17 Wed TalkHogarth’s Before and After: How paintings tell a story13.15 –13.45 35

24 Wed Exhibition Talk A curator’s introduction to Watercolour 13.15 –14.00 13


MOONSTRIPSEduardo Paolozzi and the printed collage 1965-72Until 7 June

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Eduardo Paolozzi’s use of found images and words cut from popular magazines and scientific journals played a formative role in the development of British art in the 1950s and 60s. He adapted the technique of collage to printed media in spectacular sets – often seen as highlights of Pop Art – such as Moonstrips Empire News (1967), General Dynamic F.U.N. (1970), Cloud Atomic Laboratory (1971) and Bunk! (1972). With the writer J.G. Ballard, his collaborator on the innovative Ambit magazine, Paolozzi formulated a dazzling visual and verbal accompaniment to the space-age.

Modern Heroism: Printmaking and the legacy of Napoleon BonaparteUntil 28 June

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An exhibition to mark the 200th Anniversary of Napoleon’s defeat at the Battle of Waterloo. Napoleon spread liberal reform across Europe and to his supporters his legacy was that of a modern hero. Post-Napoleonic France was characterised by constant unrest and political upheaval which coincided with a revolution in printmaking as the new technique of lithography flourished. Quick and cheap to issue in large numbers, lithography became the medium through which a new generation of artists was able to disseminate their art and political views to the masses.

Exhibitions & Displays18

The Silken world of Michelangelo from Moonstrips Empire News Volume 1Screenprint, 1967 © The Trustees of The Paolozzi Foundation

Auguste Raffet (1804-1860), 1813 (detail)

Designed to Impress: Highlights from the print collection7 July – 27 September

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This exhibition features a selection of some of the Fitzwilliam's most spectacular prints from the fifteenth to the twenty-first centuries, giving visitors an insight into the extraordinary breadth of the collection. See works by some of the greatest Old Master printmakers, including Rembrandt and Dürer, hanging alongside prints by later artists such as Canaletto, Blake and Munch.

Bird Language Until 31 May

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A small installation of four birdcages by contemporary artist Xu Bing. The birdcages are formed by metal words in both English and Chinese – questions and answers about the artist’s work. Make a noise around the artworks and the toy birds inside will revolve and emit sound in response. Xu Bing was the former President of the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing, and has previously exhibited works at The British Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum and the Ashmolean Museum.

Display sponsored by CRASSH

© Xu Bing Studio


William Blake (1757-1827), Frontispiece to The Book of Ahania, 1795Etching and colour printing

Exhibitions & Displays20

The GeorgiansUntil 31 May

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The Royal Family’s long association with Germany began in 1714, when George I became the first Hanoverian king. These coins and medals illustrate the main characters in the Georgian Royal Family, their struggle with the rival Stuart dynasty, and the creation of a world empire.

For complementary talk see page 22

David Kindersley - Alphabetician The Hidden Face of LetteringUntil 14 JuneMuseum Courtyard

A display to mark the centenary of David Kindersley, letter carver and typeface designer of great originality and skill, whose work includes the iconic British Library gates and street sign lettering across the length and breadth of Britain. The exhibits on display at the Fitzwilliam are the starting point for a special Kindersley Walking Tour through Cambridge, culminating at Kettle’s Yard. Pick up a free guide at the Museum.

For complementary talk see page 9

Highlights from Kettle’s Yard From 14 August

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See a slice of Kettle’s Yard’s unique collection of modern art, natural objects and furniture recreated in the Fitzwilliam Museum. Watch out for special talks and events for all ages inspired by the display.

David Kindersley carving a stone wall whilst apprenticed to Mr Eric Gill, 1934-36

Rosthchild bronze

Bangle: ‘Well, Well, Well*’* © David Poston


Rothschild bronzesUntil 9 August

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See two magnificent metre-high bronze male nudes astride two ferocious panthers, recently attributed to Michelangelo. If the attribution is correct, they are currently the only surviving bronzes in the world by his hand. Decide for yourself and cast your vote in the gallery. There will be a special conference on Monday 6 July at Downing College, Cambridge, to discuss additional evidence in this ongoing debate and to provide further context for these masterpieces. More information to be announced on the Museum’s website.

Necklace for an Elephant & Other Stories: The working lives of David Poston1 July – 13 September

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Described as a ‘restless non-conformist’, David Poston’s career has seen him in many guises as an avant-garde jeweller, political activist, photographer, author, engineer and inventor, to name just a few. This display of Poston’s jewellery spans four decades and focuses on a selection of exuberant and thought-provoking pieces.

Enjoy a variety of free lunchtime talks by members of staff and guest speakers.

Talks take place on Wednesdays from 13.15 - 14.00 in the Seminar Room 35 (space is limited), unless otherwise stated. Admission is by token, 1 per person, available at the Courtyard Entrance from 12.45 on the day of the talk. Induction loop available.

The Georgians in coins and medals6 MayMartin Allen, Senior Assistant Keeper, Coins and Medals

Re-constructing Renaissance fashion13 MayProfessor Ulinka Rublack, Professor of Early European History

From mortars to teaspoons: What changes and what stays the same with objects for cooking and eating?20 MayBee Wilson, Food writer and historian

Snuff-taking, fashion and accessories27 MayDr Tessa Murdoch, Deputy Keeper of Sculpture, Metalwork, Ceramics and Glass incl. The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection, V&A

François Boucher on enamelled snuffboxes: The art of adapting Rococo engravings10 JuneMélodie Doumy, Assistant Curator of The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection, V&A

Hogarth’s Before and After: How paintings tell a story17 June

Liz Rideal, Artist and author of How to Read Paintings

A curator’s introduction to Watercolour24 JuneJane Munro, Keeper of Paintings, Drawings and Prints

Inside a Paris goldsmiths’ workshop: From design to gold box1 JulyDr Heike Zech, Senior Curator of The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection, V&A

Talks22

Art SpeakTuesdays 19 May, 16 June, 14 July13.15 • FREE • Drop-inMeet in Courtyard Entrance

Enjoy half an hour looking at and talking about art.

Ruskin’s Turners8 July • 13.15 & 14.30

14 Ian Warrell, Independent curator specialising in British art of the nineteenth-century

Objects of devotion15 JulyDr Mary Laven, Reader in Early Modern History

Talks 23

Paul Nash (1889-1946), Bright Cloud, 1941 © The Estate of Paul Nash. Tate images, London 2015

Adults

Stitching workshop with Fine Cell WorkSaturday 16 May14.00 – 16.00Adults & young people 10+

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A stitching workshop where participants will make their own treasured possession. The workshop will be led by volunteers from Fine Cell Work, a charitable organisation which teaches needlework skills in prisons, and there will be an opportunity to learn more about the amazing treasured possessions made in prisons today. No previous experience required, and all materials will be provided. All proceeds from tickets for this workshop will go towards Fine Cell Work.£8

MUSEFridays 10.15 – 12.00

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Discover new ways of working at this artist led workshop inspired by Museum exhibitions and collections, with different themes each month.

22 MayPrint making and collage, inspired by examples from MOONSTRIPS

26 JuneAn introduction to watercolour techniques, inspired by examples from Watercolour: Elements of nature

17 JulyExperiment with clay and mixed media, using the Museum’s permanent collection as inspiration

£10 per workshop

Booking essential. To register your interest please tel: 01223 332904 or email: [email protected]. Places will be confirmed on receipt of payment.

Punch, posset and chocolate in Enlightenment EuropeSaturday 6 June14.00 – 15.30

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A large number of the beautiful objects in Treasured Possessions were designed for serving beverages. Join Ivan Day (Food Historian, Museums and Country House Consultant) as he discusses the material culture and ritual of communal drinking, see demonstrations of original equipment, and learn how posset, chocolate and punch were made and served.£8 £5 concessions and Friends of the Fitzwilliam Museum

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Adults

Restricted palette watercolour techniqueFriday 12 June10.30 – 16.00 with an hour’s break for lunch

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Join Royal Watercolour Society competition winner, John Wiltshire for a full day workshop. Learn how to use a five colour palette to create a harmonious painting in the manner of the Golden Age of British watercolourists such as Thomas Girtin, Peter de Wint, J.M.W. Turner and Samuel Palmer.£25 £20 concessions and Friends of the Fitzwilliam Museum

To Have and to Hold: Writing workshopSaturdays 27 June & 4 July 13.30 – 15.30Meet in Courtyard Entrance

Enjoy a special tour of the exhibition Treasured Possessions and use the exhibits as a springboard for writing creative poetry and prose.£16 for both workshops £12 concessions and Friends of the Fitzwilliam Museum

Treasured Possessions in different contextsA Cambridge Museums Summer SchoolTuesdays 7, 14, 21, 28 July & 4 August14.00 – 15.30Week 1: Meet in Courtyard Entrance

Are treasured possessions always about personal taste and aspiration, or can they be about memories, identity or even survival? Guided by museum staff each week, explore the Treasured Possessions exhibition at the Fitzwilliam Museum in week one, then visit the Polar Museum, Museum of Archaeology & Anthropology, Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences and Museum of Cambridge in the subsequent four weeks. Each visit will shed new light on the understanding of what makes a possession treasured.£40 £30 concessions and Friends of the Fitzwilliam Museum

Enamelling workshop with artist Tamar de Vries WinterSaturday 25 July10.30 – 16.30 with an hour’s break for lunch

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Gain an introduction to the ancient discipline of enamelling, and create your own piece to take home, in this full day workshop. All materials provided.£40 £30 concessions and Friends of the Fitzwilliam Museum

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Sunday Lunchtime Concerts13.15 • FREE

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Enjoy a series of popular lunchtime concerts, with music performed by talented musicians in the beautiful surroundings of the Museum.

Admission is by token, 1 per person, available at the Founder’s Entrance desk on a first-come first-served basis from 12.00 on the day of the concert. Space is limited - no standing room available. Voluntary collection after each concert. Programmes may be subject to change.

Music

Cambridge University Instrumental Award Holders for Chamber Music3 May

A variety of works played by the best undergraduate chamber musicians. Programme to include the Schumann Piano Quintet by the Aether Quintet.

Classical songs10 May

Jessica Lawrence-Hares (soprano) accompanied by Sanae Nakajima (piano), perform pieces by Schumann, Tchaikovsky and Rorem.

Music for guitar and cello17 May

Fabio Barbagallo (guitar) and Stefania Cannata (cello) perform pieces by Rossi, Mascagni, Burgmuller, Villa-Lobos and Granados.

Music for piano24 May

Patrick Hemmerlé (piano) performs Berceuse Heroique by Debussy, Sonata (1905) by Janacek and Sonata No. 6 by Prokofiev.

Music for clarinet and piano31 May

Kelvin Giles (clarinet) and Lana Bode (piano) perform Premiere Rhapsody by Claude Debussy, Fantasia on La Traviata by Donato Lovreglio, Sonata by Arnold Bax, and Conversations (3rd Movement) by Paul Patterson.

Music for harp7 June

Alison Martin (harp) performs Solo violin partita arranged for harp by Bach, First arabesque and Claire de lune by Debussy, and Fantasy on a theme from Eugene Onegin by Walter Kune.


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Music

Cambridge Summer Music Festival Sundays 19, 26 July & Saturday 1 August13.15

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Music Proms from the Cambridge Summer Music FestivalFor more information visit: www.cambridgesummermusic.com/events/

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Lectures & Conferences

Treasured Possessions conferenceMaterial worlds from the Renaissance to the EnlightenmentMonday 11 May • 9.00 – 17.00FREE

St John’s College, Divinity School, St John’s Street, Cambridge

Join scholars, curators and conservators for this day long event inspired by objects that once lay close to their owner’s hearts. Learn about the historical context of the exhibition, and the opportunity it provided for collaboration between curators, academics and makers. Key speakers include Peter Burke, Ludmilla Jordanova, Giorgio Riello and Evelyn Welch. The day closes with an early evening private view of the exhibition and drinks reception.

Robert Ward-Booth Memorial LectureThe contagion of China-fancy: Pots and their potty collectorsThursday 21 May

Lars Tharp, BBC Antiques Roadshow Asian art specialist, gives a talk on the obsession with collecting Chinaware. Before the talk there will be an opportunity to view the Treasured Possessions exhibition after hours.

18.00 Exhibition private view19.00 Lecture in Gallery 3 followed by drinks reception

£6£5 concessions and Friends of the Fitzwilliam Museum. Ticket includes a glass of wine or soft drink. Booking essential through City Centre Box Office (from 1 May). Tel: 01223 357851

Eighteenth-century gold boxes Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection study dayFriday 26 June • 10.30 – 16.30

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The lavish and intricate gold boxes of the eighteenth-century have been described as some of the most beautiful objects ever made by men. These delicate and refined miniature objects served a clear function, to hold snuff – powdered tobacco. The speakers of this study day will explore why these objects acquired a unique status as objects of desire and were an indispensable and highly collectible fashion item in the eighteenth-century. The day will also include an opportunity to view the exhibition Close-up and Personal: Eighteenth-century gold boxes from the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection. This event is possible thanks to the generosity of the Gilbert Trust for the Arts, London. Full details of the programme can be found on the Fitzwilliam Museum website.£10

Supported by Snuffbox with Diana reclining, Germany, probably Augsburg, c.1750, The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Gilbert Collection on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

Booking essential. Tel: 01223 332904 or email: [email protected] unless otherwise stated

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Museums at NightThursday 14 & Friday 15 May • FREE • Drop-in

Enjoy a night out with friends at The Fitzwilliam Museum, Kettle’s Yard, The Polar Museum, Whipple Museum, Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences, Museum of Classical Archaeology and Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. To find out what’s on across the different sites visit www.cam.ac.uk/museumsatnight

Summer at the Museums19 July – 2 September

Our annual programme of events for families is back! Get ready for a summer of fun with hands-on activities, trails and workshops throughout the holidays. www.cam.ac.uk/museums/summer

Big Weekend Saturday 11 July • 12.00 –17.00 FREE • Drop-in Make & Create Tent, Parker’s Piece

We’re out and about - join us in our marquee and get creative!

Get involvedWould you like to be part of the University of Cambridge Museums and Botanic Garden team? View the variety of volunteer, work experience, apprenticeship and internship opportunities we offer at: www.cam.ac.uk/museums/getinvolved

For the latest information about exhibitions, events and activities across the University of Cambridge Museums, visit our website and sign up to receive the e-news.

www.cam.ac.uk/museums

Cambridge University Museums

@CamUnivMuseums

University of Cambridge Museums 29

Visitor Information30

AccessPlease use Courtyard Entrance for street level access and entrance for groups and schools.

Fully accessible toiletsand lift access to all floors.

All displays accessible apart from balcony in Gallery 3 and Sasakawa Fan Gallery.

For large print or Braille information tel: 01223 332928 or email: [email protected]

During your visit if you have any questions or need help, please speak to a member of staff.

Courtyard ShopVisit the shop for a range of gifts inspired by the collections.

Courtyard Café10.00–16.30Lunches from 11.30–15.30. For reservations tel: 01223 764402.

North Lawn CaféFresh sandwiches, salads and drinks in an al fresco setting. Open March to October, weather permitting.

EducationA wide and flexible range of teaching and practical sessions for pre-booked school groups.

In-service training for teachers and pre-service training for students available.

For more information tel: 01223 332904, email: [email protected] or see website.

Reference LibraryBy advance appointment tel: 01223 764398 or email: [email protected]

Study RoomIndividual and group access to the collection of paintings, drawings and prints by advance appointment.Open Tuesday–Friday 10.00–13.00 & 14.00–16.30. Tel: 01223 764363 or email: [email protected]




Support the Fitzwilliam 31

Become a Friend of the Fitzwilliamand enjoy ...• Exclusive lectures, private views and tours ‘behind the scenes’ at the Museum

• Special visits to see other treasures within the Colleges of the University of Cambridge

• Visits to exhibitions, art galleries and historic houses in Britain

• Annual summer garden and Christmas events in the Museum

• Seasonal offers in the Museum’s Courtyard shop

Uniquely among UK Museums, the Friends support is directed exclusively to new acquisitions.

Join online and find out more at www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/support/friends Or call the Friends Office on 01223 332933

Support Us!Donations keep galleries open free of charge, conserve our collections and deliver our education service. Donate £5 by texting:FITZ345 to 70070

Gallery HireGalleries are available for hire outside formal opening hours. They provide a stunning and unique environment for corporate events, concerts, lectures and receptions.

Legacies help safeguard the collections for future generations to appreciate.

Corporate sponsorship of exhibitions, events and education programmes offers opportunities for businesses to strengthen their corporate image and promote their brand.

The Marlay Group enjoy a special relationship with one of the greatest art collections of the nation and contribute to the future of the Fitzwilliam.

To find out more, contact:Llinos Thomas, Development CoordinatorTel: 01223 332921Email: [email protected]

www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/support/

Opening Hours

Tuesday - Saturday 10.00 - 17.00Sundays & Bank Holidays 12.00 – 17.00CLOSED: Mondays

Building works

The Museum is undergoing an ongoing programme of maintenance and refurbishment, which may lead to gallery closures. If you are coming to see a particular gallery/work of art, please check before you visit.

How to find us

The Fitzwilliam Museum is in Trumpington Street, a few minutes walk from Cambridge City Centre.

No visitor parking: however, limited Pay & Display and disabled badge-holder parking is available on Trumpington Street.

Nearest car parks: Grand Arcade off Pembroke Street, or Queen Anne, Gonville Place.

The Uni 4 bus to and from Madingley Road Park & Ride and Addenbrooke’s Hospital stops outside the Museum (Mon-Fri).

For Park & Ride information visit: www.parkandride.net/cambridge/cambridge_frameset.shtml

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The Fitzwilliam Museum gratefully acknowledges the assistance of The Art Fund as a major supporter of acquisitions

FREE ADMISSION www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk

Trumpington StreetCambridgeCB2 1RBTel: 01223 332900Email: [email protected]

All images © The Fitzwilliam Museum, University of Cambridge, unless otherwise stated.

what's on may - august 2015

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