In a bid to bolster visitorship before a series of fall blockbuster exhibitions opens, the Denver Art Museum announced Monday three small summer exhibitions, including a group of 17th-century masterworks and a preview of the Clyfford Still Museum collection.
Opening July 14 and running through Sept. 30 in the Hamilton Building will be “Clyfford Still Unveiled: Selections from the Estate,” a group of 13 works from the estate of the famed abstract expressionist. They were among about 2,400 pieces given to Denver in 2004.
Among the selections will be “1944-N No. 1,” the first version of a nearly identical painting at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Also included will be early figurative works, a 1940 self-portrait and never-before-seen works on paper from 1935-52.
“This exhibition will give the public a first glimpse of the incredible paintings and drawings in the Still estate … We know that this exhibition will begin to illustrate the significance of this exceptional gift to our community,” Dean Sobel, director of the Still museum, said in a press statement.
Going on view Aug. 18 in the sixth floor permanent-collection galleries in the museum’s original building will be a signicant example each by three of the greatest painters of the 17th century – Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, Nicolas Poussin and Claude Lorrain.
Rounding out the summer offerings will be “Capturing America’s Games: Photographs of Babe Ruth & Lou
Gehrig,” an exhibition running June 2 through Sept. 30 in the Hamilton Building.
On view will be about 20 vintage photographs, most from the archives of New York-based agencies such as Acme News Pictures, plus two baseball bats, four rare baseball cards and a poster.
Call 720-865-5000 or denverartmu seum.org.
Fine arts critic Kyle MacMillan can be reached at 303-954-1675 or kmacmillan@denverpost.com.
