BMA Celebrates Edgar Allan Poe with Exhibition by Modern French Artists

BALTIMORE, MD (August 3, 2003) — Ravens and black cats emerge from the shadows at The Baltimore Museum of Art in Haunting Visions of Poe: Illustrations by Manet, Matisse & Gauguin. On display from September 17, 2003, through January 11, 2004, this one-gallery exhibition features more than 20 prints and drawings by modern French artists that translate Edgar Allan Poe’s dark genius into the realm of visual art. The exhibition also includes first-edition books of Poe’s illustrated works and portraits of the legendary Baltimore citizen by Manet and Matisse. Academy Award- and Emmy-nominated actor John Astin, best known as Gomez of “The Addams Family,” will stage a dramatic reading of “The Raven” at the BMA’s First Free Thursday on October 2, 2003.

“Edgar Allan Poe’s vision of terror continues to influence everything from art to pop culture,” said BMA Director Doreen Bolger. “This exhibition shows the beginnings of a Poe fascination that has swept the world.”

Widely celebrated for his poems and short stories, Poe created the detective tale and perfected the psychological thriller. The author is best known for “The Raven,” which earned him fame in the United States, as well as stories such as “Fall of the House of Usher,” “The Black Cat,” and “The Tell-Tale Heart.” Long before achieving widespread appreciation in America, however, Poe’s genius was discovered abroad when French poets like Charles Baudelaire and Stephane Mallarmé translated many of his works, and renowned artists such as Edouard Manet and Henri Matisse illustrated their printed pages.

For visitors unfamiliar with Poe’s writing, the exhibition includes a Reading Corner to peruse his poems and stories against a backdrop of unsettling Poe-inspired art. Most of the works in the exhibition are drawn from the BMA’s outstanding collection of works on paper, as well as from the Maryland Historical Society, the Enoch Pratt Free Library, and The Johns Hopkins University’s Milton Eisenhower Library.

Haunting Visions of Poe was curated by BMA Director Doreen Bolger and the students from her spring 2003 class at The Johns Hopkins University. This exhibition is generously sponsored by the

Arthur B. and Patricia B. Modell Foundation. Additional support is provided by the William R. Kenan, Jr. Fund of The Johns Hopkins University.

BMA/JHU Collaboration

BMA Director Doreen Bolger curated the exhibition with students from her spring 2003 class at

The Johns Hopkins University, “Recontextualizing Museum Objects.” The course, an offering in the Art History department, introduced undergraduates to the intricacies of the museum field by providing them with real-life curatorial experience. During the 14-week session, students met with BMA conservators to examine Poe-inspired prints from the collection, brainstorm Free First Thursday programming with Museum educators, explore promotional possibilities with public relations and marketing staff, and select the wall colors for the installation with the BMA’s exhibition designer.

“This course gave students an unprecedented opportunity to have access to the curatorial work of a major museum and have a close-up view of what exhibition planning is all about,” said Daniel Weiss, the James B. Knapp Dean of Zanvyl Krieger School of Arts and Sciences at The Johns Hopkins University. “This is just the beginning of the BMA and JHU collaborating academically.”

Free First Thursday

Thursday, October 2, 5-8 pm

Enjoy free admission all day and take advantage of extended evening hours filled with live music, performances, and tours. Explore the exhibition Haunting Visions of Poe: Illustrations by Manet, Matisse & Gauguin, then listen to a spooky selection of music performed by the Baltimore School for the Arts Orchestra and Chamber Music Chorus. Don’t miss a special reading of “The Raven” by Emmy- and Academy Award-nominated actor John Astin, best known for his role as Gomez on “The Addams Family.” There will be a special hands-on workshop for families. Call 410/396-6314 for details.