For Immediate Release: August 10, 2010
Media Contact: Marketing and Communication Department
Palladio and His Legacy: Media Avisory
WHAT
Palladio and His Legacy: A Transatlantic Journey, an exhibition at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C.
Open from September 2, 2010 through January 9, 2011, Palladio and His Legacy: A Transatlantic Journey brings together 31 rare drawings by late Italian Renaissance master Andrea Palladio from the collection of the Royal Institute of British Architects Trust. The exhibition explores the development of Palladio’s design sensibility and his profound influence on architecture in Britain and America.
The drawings featured in the exhibition range from early studies and sketches to presentation drawings of villas and other commissioned works. The drawings include preliminary designs for Palladio’s ground-breaking architectural text I Quattro Libri dell’ Architettura (Four Books on Architecture) and key pattern books that were circulated in Britain and the United States.
The exhibition also highlights Palladio’s enormous impact on the architecture of the United States, most notably through the work and influence of Thomas Jefferson and in designs for monumental buildings in Washington, D.C. This influence is demonstrated by models created and loaned by renowned modelmaker Timothy Richards of Bath, England. The models include Monticello and the Supreme Court of the United States among others.
To complement the exhibition, the National Building Museum will present a variety of public programs addressing Palladio’s influence. For more information, please visit www.nbm.org. An exhibition catalogue published to accompany the exhibition is available for sale in the National Building Museum Shop and online at www.nbmshop.org.
This exhibition is organized by the Royal Institute of British Architects Trust, London, in association with the Centro Internazionale di Studi di Architettura Andrea Palladio, Vicenza, and is presented in Washington, D.C. in partnership with the National Building Museum.
CURATORS
- Charles Hind, Associate Director and H.J. Heinz Curator of Drawings, British Architectural Library, RIBA
- Dr. Irena Murray, Sir Banister Fletcher Director, British Architectural Library, RIBA
- Dr. Guido Beltramini, Director of the Centro Internazionale di Studi di Architettura Andrea Palladio (Vicenza)
- Calder Loth, retired Senior Architectural Historian, Virginia Department of Historical Resources
- Chrysanthe Broikos, Coordinating Curator, National Building Museum
WHEN
September, 2, 2010 – January 9, 2011
WHERE
National Building Museum
401 F Street NW (Judiciary Square Metro, Red Line)
First Floor Galleries
SPONSORS
Support for the traveling exhibition is provided by the Richard H. Driehaus Charitable Lead Trust, Regione del Veneto, British Architectural Library Trust, Dainese, The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation, Center for Palladian Studies in America, Inc., William T. Kemper Foundation, Samuel H. Kress Foundation, Andrew D. Stone, and Richard Wernham and Julia West.
Support for the presentation of the exhibition and associated educational programs at the National Building Museum is provided by Federazione Veneta BCC; Isabella del Frate Rayburn; Maurice Kanbar; Leo A. Daly III, FAIA, RIBA; Barboursville Vineyards - Zonin Family; Robert W. and Louisa C. Duemling; EvensonBest and Knoll; Herman Miller Inc; The Italian Cultural Institute in Washington, DC; John J. Medveckis; Martha McGeary Snider; Mallory and Diana Walker; Claire and Warren Cox; Joseph F. Johnston, Jr.; Eugene & Carol Ludwig & Promontory Financial Group; Chas A. Miller III; Whayne and Ursula Quin; Suzanne and David Santry; Mr. and Mrs. Albert H. Small; and anonymous donors.
In addition, the National Building Museum is extremely grateful to the Embassy of Italy for its invaluable assistance, and to Anne Kriken Mann as well as the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) for their special support.
BACKGROUND
The National Building Museum, created by an act of Congress in 1980, is a private, nonprofit institution that examines and interprets achievements in building through exhibitions, education programs, and publications. Public inquiries: 202.272.2448 or visit www.nbm.org.
The RIBA Trust manages the cultural assets of the Royal Institute of British Architects. It holds an internationally recognized collection of more than four million books, periodicals, drawings (including more than 330 of Palladio’s 380 surviving original drawings), photographs, models, and other archives. More information at www.architecture.com.
The Centro Internazionale di Studi di Architettura Andrea Palladio (CISA) is dedicated to research in the field of the history of architecture. Its activities include conferences, publications and exhibitions dedicated not only to Palladio but also to aspects of architectural history, from antiquity to the modern age. www.cisapalladio.org
CONTACT
Marketing and Communications Department, 202.272.2448, ext. 3458
The National Building Museum is America’s leading cultural institution dedicated to advancing the quality of the built environment by educating people about its impact on their lives. Through its exhibitions, educational programs, online content, and publications, the Museum has become a vital forum for the exchange of ideas and information about the world we build for ourselves. Public inquiries: 202.272.2448 or visit www.nbm.org. Connect with us on Twitter: @BuildingMuseum and Facebook.
