The Metropolitan Museum of Art (Venue Partner)
1000 Fifth Ave at 82nd St
212.535.7710
This event has passed.
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Image: Maria Harriet Elizabeth Cator (English, died 1881). Untitled page from the Cator Album, late 1860s/70s. Hans P. Kraus, Jr., New York
- When
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Feb 2, 2010 – May 9, 2010
Daily
- Where
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Directions: Main Building: Take the 4, 5, or 6 train to 86th Street and walk to Fifth Avenue; OR take the M1, M2, M3, or M4 bus along Fifth Avenue. The Cloisters: Take the A train to 190th Street and walk, or transfer to the M4 bus and ride north one stop.
- Price
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Free with museum admission
- Links
In the 1860s and 1870s, long before collage techniques were being used by avant–garde artists of the early 20th century, aristocratic Victorian women were experimenting with photocollage. Playing with Pictures: The Art of Victorian Photocollage, on view through May 9, is the first exhibition to examine this little-known phenomenon. Whimsical and fantastical Victorian photocollages, created using photographs and watercolors, reveal the educated minds as well as accomplished hands of their makers. With subjects as varied as new theories of evolution, the changing role of photography, and the strict conventions of aristocratic society, the photocollages frequently disprove stuffy Victorian clichés with surreal, rebellious, and funny images. Featuring approximately 55 works from public and private collections—including many that have rarely or never been exhibited before—this exhibition provides a fascinating window into the creative possibilities of photography in the 19th century.
