Berenson and the Connoisseurship of Italian Painting

January 21-September 3, 1979

Overview: 126 paintings, drawings, letters, telegrams, books, photographs, and other materials concerning Bernard Berenson and his influence on art patrons were exhibited. Included were some 20 paintings from the Gallery's collection. Berenson (1865-1959) was a key figure in the history of taste and collecting, particularly concerning the acquisition of early Italian paintings by American collectors. David Alan Brown, curator of early Italian painting, organized the assemblage. Gaillard Ravenel, Mark Leithauser, and David Brown designed the exhibition, and Gordon Anson designed the lighting for the National Gallery.

Attendance: 198,000 (226 days)

Location: East Building, Mezzanine, Pod I (3,000 sq. ft.)

Catalogue: Berenson and the Connoisseurship of Italian Painting: A Handbook to the Exhibition, by David Alan Brown. Washington, DC: National Gallery of Art, 1979.

Other venue:

Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts (revised version)

Fall 1979

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