Elvehjem Museum to highlight American art

A major exhibition recreating the American art installation from the Universal Exposition of 1900 held in Paris opens at the Elvehjem Museum of Art Saturday, Sept. 16.

That important exhibition established a distinct and important American school of art, rivaling many contemporary European schools and putting American art and artists definitively on the international cultural map. A traveling show organized by The Montclair Art Museum, “Paris 1900: The “American School’ at the Universal Exposition,” will remain on view through Jan. 28.

“Paris 1900” offers the first in-depth examination of this pivotal moment in American social and cultural history when uniquely American art was recognized internationally and considered on par with European work.

More than 80 objects, primarily from the original installation, as well as additional archival and scholarly material, will be shown.

The exhibition includes works by such masters as William Merritt Chase, Childe Hassam, Theodore Robinson, Julian Alden Weir, Winslow Homer, John Singer Sargent, Thomas Eakins, Charles Sprague Pearce and George Inness.

The American installation at the Universal Exposition of 1900, financed by the State Department, was carefully designed to promote the image of the United States as a powerful and civilized nation. While many Americans artists were already internationally recognized as important, American art as a category was not yet established.

The exquisite exhibition of paintings in the installation at the exposition, which garnered more awards than any other national group except the French, redefined American art to the world.

The organization of “Paris 1900” was made possible through the generous support of the Florence Gould Foundation, Henry Luce Foundation Inc., National Endowment for the Arts, Baird Family Fund, Bank of New York and George Link Jr. Foundation. Additional funding is provided by a grant from the Wisconsin Humanities Council and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

The museum is open Tuesdays-Fridays, 9-5 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays, 11-5 p.m.; closed Mondays and major holidays. Educational programs

Saturday, Sept. 16: Curator Diane P. Fischer will give the opening slide-lecture, a discussion of what “schools” of art meant in the 19th century and how American art related to that definition. 5:30 p.m., L140 Elvehjem. Reception follows, Paige Court.

Thursday, Oct. 26: Art conservator Anton Rajer will give a slide-lecture, “The Paris Exposition of 1900, La Belle Epoque’s Gilded Celebration.” Rajer is working on a monograph about Roberto Lewis, a Panamanian artist who participated in the Paris Exposition of 1900. 5:30 p.m., L140 Elvehjem.