Gibbes Museum of Art to Exhibit Private Charleston Collection of Northern Renaissance Art

“The Annunciation”

Press Release

The Gibbes Museum of Art is pleased to announce its newest special exhibition, Charleston Collects: Devotion and Fantasy, Witchcraft and the World’s End. This selection of paintings and prints from a major, private, Charleston collection of Northern Renaissance art introduces a world of intensely, and sometimes disturbingly, vivid imagery that speaks to uncertainties of the period and remains relevant today. Charleston Collects: Devotion and Fantasy, Witchcraft and the World’s End will be on display in the museum’s galleries two and three from October 9, 2020—June 27, 2021.

This exhibition is a selection of art curated by Lawrence Goedde, Ph.D., professor of art history at the University of Virginia. The collection, which is comprised of objects created in the Low Countries and Germany between 1440 and 1590, showcases a world of contradictions and unease—whether the subject is a troubled Virgin Mary contemplating her young son, or a menacing group of malevolent figures inspired by Hieronymus Bosch, or Albrecht Dürer’s famous scenes from Revelations. In the turbulent era of the Renaissance and beginning of the Reformation in Northern Europe, patrons found their hopes, desires and anxieties mirrored in these artistic images, further inspiring pious beliefs or depicting fantastic visions of good and evil.

“We are thrilled to exhibit this remarkable selection of Northern Renaissance art,” said Angela Mack, executive director of the Gibbes Museum of Art. “We’re pleased to have a partner in Dr. Goedde, and a local art connoisseur, who has obtained these world-class pieces throughout his career as a collector. We are delighted to have the opportunity to share this outstanding private collection at the Gibbes for others to enjoy.”

To coincide with the opening of Charleston Collects: Devotion and Fantasy, Witchcraft and the World’s End, the Gibbes will host related virtual programming, including:

• Virtual Lecture with Dr. Lawrence Geodde — October 9, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

An introduction to the masterpieces featured in the exhibition Charleston Collects: Devotion and Fantasy, Witchcraft and the World’s End, the virtual lecture will be led by professor of art history, University of Virginia, Dr. Lawrence Geodde. This virtual lecture is $20 for members and $30 for non-members. The private Zoom link will be circulated one day before the event. This virtual program is made possible by the generous support of Art Bridges.

• Virtual Curator-Led Tour: Charleston Collects with Sara Arnold — October 15, 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm

Viewers can explore the exhibition Charleston Collects: Devotion and Fantasy, Witchcraft and the World’s End with Gibbes Museum curator, Sara Arnold. This tour offers unique insight into the collection and will be streamed through Facebook Live @theGibbesMuseum. It is free and open to the public.

For more information on the exhibition, visit the official website.

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