Hidden from public view no more, some extraordinary artworks from the holdings of private collectors on Long Island are on exhibition at Nassau County Museum of Art (NCMA) January 18 through March 15.
Many of the works have never before been seen by the museum-going public. The artworks are arranged in thematic clusters based on important art movements, among them Impressionism (exemplified by Cezanne, Renoir and Pissarro), Modernism (exemplified by Picasso, Léger and de Chirico) and postwar American Art (exemplified by Larry Rivers, Jim Dine and Cindy Sherman). Beckmann, Degas, Chagall, Matisse, Lichtenstein and Pollock are among the many other artists represented in “Long Island Collects.”
European artists dominate in the Impressionism and Modernism sections of the exhibition. Highlights include a previously unseen work by Turner and a Cezanne still life. Three oils by Renoir, a painting and a pastel by Pissarro and two charcoals by Degas are among the other works representing Impressionism. The moderns include Matisse, Vlaminck, Braque, Robert Delaunay and a substantial body of work by Picasso, all but one of which have never before been at NCMA.
Also shown are a Chagall fantasy landscape, a vividly colored Léger and several strong German Expressionist oils by Beckmann, Pechstein and Münter.
The section on American postwar art begins with one of Hans Hofmann’s classic abstract paintings, demonstrating his vibrant palette and formal concept of “push and pull” color relationship.
The dynamics and scope of the Abstract Expressionist movement are further reflected in a charismatic work by Franz Kline, a small but distinctive Jackson Pollock, a drip and splatter painting by Sam Francis and a serene color field painting by Helen Frankenthaler. Subsequent figuration includes work by Larry Rivers, David Hockney and Wayne Thiebaud.
Large-scale photo works by Cindy Sherman and Candida Hofer conclude this eclectic section of the exhibition.
Also drawn from Long Island collections are works comprising the two companion exhibitions in adjacent galleries: “Poetic Journey: Hudson River School Paintings from the Collection of Laura and David Grey” and “Andy Warhol Silkscreens.”
NCMA is sponsoring several public programs to illuminate and enhance the experience of viewing the exhibition. Among the events are talks by chief curator Franklin Hill Perrell, Charles A. Riley II, PhD, and art collector David Grey and private tours of the exhibition followed by elegant teas.
Nassau County Museum of Art is at One Museum Drive (just off Northern Boulevard, Route 25A, two traffic lights west of Glen Cove Road). For information, 516-484-9337 or www.nassaumuseum.com .
