The Cult of Beauty: The Victorian Avant-Garde 1860–1900, coming to the Legion of Honor on February 18, is the first major exhibition to explore the unconventional creativity of the British Aesthetic Movement, tracing its evolution from a small circle of progressive artists and poets, through the achievements of innovative painters and architects, to its broad impact on fashion and the middle-class home.
The Climax Solome print by Aubrey Beardsley is on display as part of the Legion’s The Cult of Beauty: The Victorian Avant-Garde, 1860–1900.
By Paul Duclos
Published: February, 2012
The Cult of Beauty: The Victorian Avant-Garde 1860–1900, coming to the Legion of Honor on February 18, is the first major exhibition to explore the unconventional creativity of the British Aesthetic Movement, tracing its evolution from a small circle of progressive artists and poets, through the achievements of innovative painters and architects, to its broad impact on fashion and the middle-class home.
Over 180 superb artworks on view will express the manifold ways that avant-garde attitudes permeated Victorian material culture: the traditional high art of painting, fashionable trends in architecture and interior decoration, handmade and manufactured furnishings for the "artistic" home, art photography and new modes of dress. The exhibition debuted at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and is currently on view at the Musée d’Orsay in Paris. The Legion of Honor is the exclusive U.S. venue for the exhibition.
British Aestheticism radically redefined the relationships between the artist and society, between the "fine arts" and design, and between art and both ethics and criticism. The iconoclastic belief in that art’s sole purpose is to be beautiful on its own formal terms stood in direct opposition to Victorian society’s commitment to art’s role as moral educator. Aestheticism is now recognized as the wellspring for both the Arts and Crafts and Art Nouveau movements.
The Cult of Beauty showcases the entirety of the Aesthetic Movement’s output, celebrating the startling beauty and variety of creations by such artists and designers as Dante Gabriel Rossetti, James McNeill Whistler, Edward Burne-Jones, E. W. Godwin, William Morris and Christopher Dresser. Originating curator Dr. Lynn Federle Orr explained in her catalogue essay: "Like a fine Victorian novel, the story of the Aesthetic Movement is one centered around serious social debates—shifting class structures, the confrontation between science and religion, art’s place in society, the impact of new market forces and a unique emphasis on the middle-class home." For more information, visit www.famsf.org.
Following its triumphal "gala" last month, the San Francisco Ballet begins its repertory and performance schedule for its 79th repertory season. The season will include the presentation of three full-length works, including the San Francisco Ballet premiere of John Cranko’s Onegin.
February brings the San Francisco Ballet premiere of John Cranko’s dramatic, three-act story ballet Onegin, hailed as a "dazzling masterpiece" by the Toronto Sun. This updated production, premiered by the National Ballet of Canada in 2010, features a score by Tchaikovsky (orchestrated by Kurt-Heinz Stolze), scenic and costume design by Santo Loquasto and lighting design by James F. Ingalls. Based on Alexander Pushkin’s novel in verse Eugene Onegin, Cranko’s version was first presented in 1965 by Stuttgart Ballet and has been performed by more than 20 companies around the world.
Program two opens Tuesday, February 14 and features the return of Wayne McGregor’s Chroma, a world premiere by Mark Morris, and an encore presentation of Christopher Wheeldon’s Number Nine. McGregor’s Chroma, which had its San Francisco Ballet premiere during the 2011 Season, is set to music by Joby Talbot and Jack White III. This award-winning contemporary work was proclaimed "ravishing on all fronts" by the Sunday Times (UK). Program two also features a world-premiere work by acclaimed choreographer Mark Morris, who will create his eighth work for the Company. Set to an exhilarating score by Michael Torke, Wheeldon’s Number Nine features a large ensemble of 24 dancers and was first performed by the Company during the 2011 Repertory Season.
Program three opens Thursday, February 16 with the revival of Alexei Ratmansky’s Le Carnaval des Animaux (Carnival of the Animals), a world premiere work by San Francisco Ballet Choreographer in Residence Yuri Possokhov, and the encore of Tomasson’s Trio. Set to Camille Saint-Saëns’ beloved score, Ratmansky’s Le Carnaval des Animaux is set in a menagerie come to life. This light-hearted, comedic piece premiered in 2003, and was most recently performed during the Company’s tour to London in 2004. Having garnered critical and audience acclaim for his latest works, Possokhov will create a new ballet for the Company. Set to Tchaikovsky’s string sextet Souvenir de Florence, Tomasson’s Trio, which debuted during the 2011 Repertory Season, receives an encore performance. For more information, see www.sfballet.org.
