Past Exhibitions

European Painting and Sculpture from the 12th to 18th Centuries Collection Insight January 1, 1991–November 13, 2005 SAM Fourth Floor Galleries

The Kress Collection of European painting makes up the core of SAM’s European galleries. The paintings, presented in roughly chronological order, are seen among other objects, including sculpture, porcelain, furniture and silver from European culture before 1800.

For roughly 300 years, from about 1200 to 1500, most European paintings were devotional objects, commissioned to occupy sacred spaces in Christian churches and private chapels. Craftsmanship and artistic skill were appreciated, but the real value of a work of art resided in the holy image itself. With the expansion of the art market after around 1500, artistic opportunities increased, and many more secular subjects, including portraits, were commissioned to decorate the homes of the wealthy. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the nobility and upper classes joined and then replaced the Church as major patrons of artists. All of these developments are reflected in the European collection at the Seattle Art Museum.

European Painting and Sculpture from the 12th to 18th Centuries will experience the following gallery closures to prepare for construction of the expanded Seattle Art Museum. Gallery 402 will close on November 6, 2005 and gallery 403 will close on November 13, 2005. These collection galleries will reopen in spring 2007.

Lucas Cranach the Elder
German, 1472-1553
The Judgment of Paris
ca. 1516-1518
Oil on wood, 25 x 16 1/2 in.
LeRoy M. Backus Collection, 52.38

 

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