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LEFT: ARTIST: ETIENNE CARJAT,

FRENCH 1828-1906

VICTOR HUGO, FROM LA

GALERIE CONTEMPORAINE

YALE UNIVERSITY ART GALLERY The Critique of Reason: Romantic Art, 1760–1860

plate engravings, many with origi- nal hand-applied color — represent Renaissance-period attempts by Eu- ropean ateliers to edify their clientele by revealing our “new” hemisphere and its approaches, as discoveries and claims came ashore from those daring enough to pack their sea bags and head for the unknown. More than five hundred years ago, two European empires began seeking the most efficient seaborne routes to the riches of Arabia and the Orient—Spain sailing west; Portugal sailing east. Mapmakers scrambled to gather the latest ex- plorers’ reports to enable them to draw up-to-date maps, print them as separate sheets, and sell them largely to the wealthy as bound at-

The first major collaborative exhibi- tion between the Yale University Art Gallery and the Yale Center for Brit- ish Art, The Critique of Reason offers an unprecedented opportunity to view treasured works from both museums’ collections. The show comprises paint- ings, sculptures, medals, watercolors, drawings, prints, and photographs by such iconic artists as William Blake, Théodore Géricault, Francisco de Goya, and Joseph Mallord William Turner. The broad range of work se- lected challenges the traditional notion of the Romantic artist as a brooding genius given to introversion and fan- tasy. Instead, the exhibition’s eight

Multi-Media Exhibition Depicts Greenwich, Connecticut’s Role in World War I including Aerial Warfare, Harvesting Food at Home, Military Arms Manufacturing, and more. Greenwich Faces the GreatWar contains person- al belongings, official documents, diaries, posters, artwork, recordings created by the Greenwich Library Oral History project, and readings from original Historical Society archival material, that bring these critical years to life. Compelling im- ages, artifacts and documents illustrate the diverse experiences of military personnel, volunteers, and civilians alike. On view at Greenwich Historical Society’s Storehouse Gallery, 39 Strickland Road, Cos Cob, CT. (203) 869-6899; www.greenwichhistory.org

thematic sections juxtapose arresting works that reveal the Romantics as attentive explorers of

* lases—massive compendia that glorified leather- filled libraries and enriched cultural reputations. But much of the news sent home was erroneous, owing to imperfect navigation, honest misreadings of reality, or deliberate misrepresentations. Alto- gether, these factors make historic “New World” maps a fascinating study in geographic and human progress—and occasional regression. 1 Museum Drive, Greenwich, CT. 203-869-0376; www.brucemuseum.org

their natural and cultural worlds. 1111 Chapel Street (at York Street) New Haven, CT. 203-432-0600 www.artgallery.yale.edu

GREENWICH HISTORICAL SOCIETY PRESENTS: Greenwich Faces the Great War An Exhibition that Reveals What Transpired

on the Home Front Through March 22

BELOW: JOHN SPEED›S STEEL-ENGRAVED, HAND-

COLORED VIEW OF “AMERICA” (LONDON, 1626), SHOWS

THE POST-COLUMBIAN “NEW WORLD.” IT INCLUDES

ATTRACTIVE CULTURAL BORDER DECORATIONS,

BUT PERPETUATES THE MYTH OF “CALIFORNIA AS

AN ISLAND.” FROM THE COLLECTION OF JACK A. SOMER.

BRUCE MUSEUM (Re)Discovering the “New World”: Maps & Sea Charts from the Age

of Exploration Through June 7

This exhibition features more than thirty maps and charts dated between 1511 and 1757. The maps — woodcuts or metal-

LEFT: GREENWICH CANNING KITCHEN;

GREENWICH HISTORICAL SOCIETY.

PHOTOGRAPH COLLECTION “WARS -

WORLD WAR I”.

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