Laughing at the Art World

EXHIBITION OVERVIEW

Since the 1700s artists and the world they inhabit have been fair game for humorists. Gallery goers, art collectors, critics and curators – none have escaped the wicked pens and etching needles of clever cartoonists. Among the targets of ridicule are unruly, delusional painters, arrogant connoisseurs and art dealers, and elitist museums and arts organizations. By poking fun at art and artists these satirical prints and drawings encourage debate around issues of the relevance and accessibility of art. The exhibition features works acquired with the special Trier-Fodor fund and includes works by Thomas Rowlandson, Francisco Goya, Duncan Macpherson, Richard Hamilton and Banksy.

THE GALLERY VISITOR

Public museums were first established in the late 1700s and, in conjunction with the rapidly expanding audience for art, exhibitions proliferated in the 1800s. The London Royal Academy and the Paris Salon became venues where crowds of people gathered to see and be seen. By the 1900s, art gallery visitors, from couples and families to school groups and tourists, became popular subjects for cartoonists. This small installation includes works by Walter Trier and 19th century French artists.