WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — On Saturday, Dec. 17 at 2 pm, the Clark Art Institute hosts a lecture by exhibition curator and Clark-Getty Paper Project Curatorial Fellow Sarah Grandin in conjunction with the opening of "Promenades on Paper: Eighteenth-Century Drawings from the Bibliothèque nationale de France."

 

Grandin shares the  history of the national library of France's collections, and how that shaped the selection of works included in the Clark's exhibition. The free talk is presented in the Clark's auditorium.

 

According to a press release:

 

In partnership with the Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF), the Clark is organizing the first exhibition ever presented of eighteenth-century French drawings from the National Library of France's extensive collection. The selection of eighty-four enchanting studies, architectural plans, albums, sketchbooks, prints, and optical devices expands understanding of drawing as a tool of documentation and creation in the age of Enlightenment, spanning the domains of natural history, current events, theater design, landscape, and portraiture. Displayed together, these objects immerse audiences in the world of eighteenth-century France—a world shaped by invention, erudition, and spectacle. Works by celebrated artists of the period such as François Boucher (1703–1770) and Gabriel de Saint-Aubin (1724–1780) are featured alongside exquisite drawings by lesser-known practitioners, including talented women, royal children, and visionary architects.

 

Free; no registration is required.