Chimneys and Towers: Charles Demuth's Late Paintings of Lancaster On View November 10, 2007 through January 20, 2008

West Palm Beach, Fl – Medieval and Renaissance Treasures from the V & A, organized by the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, will make its U.S. premiere at the Norton Museum of Art from October 24, 2007 to January 6, 2008. The exhibition offers a rare opportunity to see this outstanding collection of works before they are reinstalled in the V & A’s new Medieval and Renaissance Galleries, opening in fall 2009. It will feature 44 works in various media—ivory, wood, bronze, metalwork, ceramic, stained glass, and a manuscript—ranging in date from the late Roman Empire to about 1600, including an illustrated notebook with fascinating drawings by Leonardo da Vinci called the Codex Forster I.

“The V & A’s collection of Medieval and Renaissance art and design is one of the finest and most comprehensive in the world. This is the first occasion on which a group of objects of this kind has been lent from the V&A. The Norton Museum is very pleased to be the first American venue for this collection of British treasures,” said Norton Museum of Art Director, Christina Orr-Cahall.

All of the included works were originally intended for the embellishment of churches and chapels in the Middle Ages, or for the private quarters of wealthy Renaissance collectors.   These objects were highly prized for their beauty, the value of their materials and for their impeccable workmanship.

The centerpiece of the exhibition is Leonardo da Vinci’s personal notebook, Codex Forster I, which features Leonardo’s signature “mirror-writing” and diagrams, offering insights into the artist’s genius and revealing his fascination with geometry and mathematics.   

Other highlights include important ivory carvings, such as the Late Antique Symmachi panel, made in Rome around 400 ce for patrician patrons; the Lorsch Gospels Cover, made around 800 ce for the abbey of Lorsch (Central Germany) presided over by the Emperor Charlemagne; the Basilewsky Situla, an extremely rare holy water bucket made for the Ottonian emperor in the late tenth century; the Limoges enamel reliquary made to house the relics of Thomas Becket; and a fifteenth-century bronze fountainhead in the form of a winged putto, by the Italian Renaissance master sculptor Donatello.

Following its premiere at the Norton Museum, the exhibition will travel to the Speed Art Museum, Louisville (January 22 – April 20, 2008), the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (May 20 - August 17, 2008), the High Museum of Art, Atlanta (October 11, 2008 - January 4, 2009) and the Millennium Galleries, Sheffield (January 29 - May 24, 2009).

Organized by the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

This exhibition is made possible in part through the generosity of Dame Celia Lipton Farris, Laurence Levine Charitable Fund and Sir Thomas R. Moore.

Media Support provided by The Palm Beach Post and WPTV NewsChannel 5.

Exhibition Catalog:
The exhibition is complemented by a full color, illustrated companion book produced by the Victoria and Albert Museum, which highlights the extraordinary objects featured in the traveling exhibition. Available in the Museum Store for $27.50, Museum Members receive an additional 10% discount.

Saks 5^th Avenue:
In conjunction with Medieval and Renaissance Treasures from the V&A, Saks 5^th Avenue on Worth Avenue will design and display a store front window to reflect the theme utilizing images from the exhibition, merchandise from the Museum Store, and clothing and accessories from Saks 5^th Avenue.

Exhibition-Related Programming:
December 1 Fancy Fonts: Making a Medieval Manuscript 10:30 to 12:30, $5 Materials Fee Payable at Door
Visit medieval artworks to see their intricate designs.  Enter the studio to create your own illuminated manuscript page with crazy capital letters, beautiful writing and whimsical drawings.

November 25
Medieval Combat

Special Time: 2:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Free with Admission

Join a Roman centurion, a barbarian and a knight (thanks to Hopeless Romantics Entertainment.com) to learn about armor. But beware, as another knight interrupts and tempers flare! When the dust settles, children can design their own coats-of-arms.

January 6
“Marvel not at the Gold but at the Craftsmanship”

Marilyn Stokstad, Professor Emerita, University of Kansas, discusses works in the V&A exhibition.

November 11
Renaissance Music from Spain and the Americas

As one of the great empires of the Renaissance, Spain fostered talented composers whose music met and merged with indigenous traditions in the New World. Florida State University’s Renaissance vocal ensemble, Cantores Musicæ Antiquæ, under the direction of Jeffery Kite-Powell, will perform works from Spain and her colonies.

The Norton Museum of Art is open Monday–Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m. (Closed Mondays from May through October and on major holidays.) General admission is $8 for adults, $3 for visitors ages 13-21, and free for Members and children under 13.  An additional charge may apply for special exhibitions. West Palm Beach residents receive free admission to the Museum Collection every Saturday, with proof of residency. Palm Beach County residents receive free admission to the Museum Collection the first Saturday of each month, with proof of residency.  For more information, please call (561) 832-5196 or visit www.norton.org.