April
30 - July 4, 2005
Corcoran
Gallery of Art in Washington DC presents Dutch Royal Silver:
Celebrating the Silver Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Beatrix
Washington,
DC — The Corcoran Gallery of Art and the Royal Netherlands
Embassy present Dutch Royal Silver: Celebrating the Silver Jubilee
of Her Majesty Queen Beatrix. This special exhibition, held
in the Corcoran’s Salon Doré, features a selection
of rarely seen decorative works from the private collection
of the Royal House of Orange-Nassau, many of which have never
before been displayed in the United States. Dutch Royal Silver:
Celebrating the Silver Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Beatrix
is on view at the Corcoran Gallery of Art from April 30 through
July 4, 2005.
“The
design and production of Dutch silver reveals a very high level
of art and craft,” explains Laura Coyle, Corcoran Curator
of European Art. “We are honored to take part in the Queen’s
Silver Jubilee in the United States. This special exhibition
celebrates the Queen’s twenty-five year reign and offers
the American public a rare glimpse of the beautiful and historical
silver decorative arts in the collection of the Dutch Royal
House.”
The exhibition
includes decorative works from the early nineteenth century
such as a diamond-encrusted silver and gold jewelry box created
to honor the Silver Jubilee of King Willem III in 1874 and a
magnificent table decoration crowned with a nautilus shell.
This shell, frequently represented in Dutch still life paintings,
suggests the importance of the sea for the Dutch, an appropriate
theme for the piece which was a gift to King Willem III from
the province of Zeeland, a group of islands in southwest Holland.
Other pieces
on view celebrating Dutch maritime culture include a table decoration
presented by the Royal Dutch Navy and ship pilot organization
to King Willem III and Queen Emma in 1870. This intricate piece
features an elaborate model of the ship Queen Emma of the Netherlands
in silver and vermeil (gilded silver). The model features banners
that stream from the tip of the tallest mast and a delicate
network of lines and billowing golden sails and tiny silver
life boats dangling from the ship’s sides.
Most of
the pieces in the exhibition, while created for use, are also
tour-de-force examples of Dutch craftsmanship. A candelabra
and matching bowl, for example, are pieces from an extensive
table service that includes complete and exquisitely detailed
silverware settings for a multitude of dinners. Like many other
pieces in the exhibition, this table setting still graces formal
dinners hosted by Queen Beatrix and other members of the royal
family.
“The
Netherlands Embassy is pleased to collaborate with the Corcoran
Gallery of Art to present Dutch Royal Silver: Celebrating the
Silver Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Beatrix. The Dutch have
long been recognized for their artistry in silver and the Royal
Netherlands Embassy, as well as the Dutch business community,
welcomes this opportunity to present this private collection
in Washington, which is our way of honoring Her Majesty Queen
Beatrix on her special day,” said Boudewijn J. van Eenennaam,
Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the U.S.
About
the Dutch Royal House
The Dutch Royal House is the House of Orange-Nassau, whose ties
to the Netherlands date back almost 600 years. The present head
of state, Her Majesty Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, fulfills
her task as monarch in a parliamentary democracy. This exhibition
celebrates the twenty-fifth anniversary of Queen Beatrix’s
ascension to the throne on April 30, 1980, when her mother,
Queen Juliana, formally transferred the title of Queen to her
daughter. As a tribute to her mother, Queen Beatrix has maintained
the tradition of marking her mother’s birthday, April
30, as Queen’s Day, a national holiday. In the United
States, Queen’s Day is celebrated in many areas with large
Dutch American populations. In Washington, D.C., the Royal Netherlands
Embassy will host “Meet the Dutch,” an annual series
of events, seminars and receptions which highlight Dutch contributions
in art, business, politics and culture to be held April 25 –
29, 2005. The week-long series of events will culminate the
day before" Dutch Royal Silver: Celebrating the Silver
Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Beatrix" officially opens
to the public on April 30.
About
the Salon Dore
Originally part of the Hôtel de Clermont, an important
private eighteenth-century residence in the old aristocratic
quarter of Paris known as the Faubourg Saint-Germain, the Corcoran
Gallery of Art’s Salon Doré (“gilded room”)
is a superb example of eighteenth-century French interior design
and artistry. The room’s gilded wall paneling and ceiling
mural came to the Corcoran as part of the bequest of William
A. Clark (1839-1925), an industrialist and United States senator
from Montana. Senator Clark originally purchased the room in
1904 for installation in the mansion he was building in New
York City.
Public
Programs
Flowers Dutch Style
Wednesday June 8 at 7:00pm
Members $12, Public $15
René Hofstede, owner of NYC’s famous Mille Fiori
Floral Design, was selected by the Dutch Ambassador to create
a memorable environment in the Dutch Residence. He was selected
for his creativity and vision both of which have made him the
premier floral arranger for fashion designers, decorators, media
and other exclusive clients. Peter Jennings, Armani, Estée
Lauder, W, JLo, The New Yorker, NYT, Vanity Fair and Time, Inc.
are among his many clients. Mr. Hofstede presents, with gorgeous
slides, a most delightful evening, showing images from his Dutch
Residence display and other spectacular floral arrangements
he has designed.
Modern
Dutch Style/ Exhibition Viewing
Support for this program provided by a grant from the Royal
Netherlands Embassy
Thursday, June 23 at 7:00pm
Members $12, Public $15
Internationally recognized Dutch silversmith, Wouter van Baalen,
captivates us with a discussion about his contemporary silver
artwork and the modern craft of silversmithing. Perhaps best
known for his ability to manipulate silver’s reflective
qualities, van Baalen produces pieces that suggest a mesmerizing
sense of movement. His work is in the collection of the Dutch
Royal family and in other major European collections. His modern
silver contrasts with the traditional royal silver on display
at the Corcoran in Dutch Royal Silver: Celebrating the Silver
Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Beatrix which participants are
invited to view after his talk.
Contact:
Corcoran Communications Office
Tel.: 202-639-1703
PR@corcoran.org
www.corcoran.org/exhibitions/press_main.asp
