The “Big Day” had arrived. Where art and sport collide on the grandest scale in one of the most heralded art museums in the world. When the Green Bay Packers won the ultimate football competition, Super Bowl XLV (45), the wager between the Milwaukee Art Museum (MAM) and Pittsburgh\'s Carnegie Museum of Art was finalized through the exchange of a priceless painting.
The priceless Impressionist painting The Bathers by Renoir had been transported to Milwaukee four days before October 11 to “acclimate” to its new environment, adjust to the different atmosphere. Immediately in front of the large, bound rectangular box, MAM staff members were wearing Greg Jennings #85 jersey, Packer caps and Green Bay helmets for the event at which sportscaster Wayne Larrivee appeared. The Pittsburgh Steelers logo appeared on the front of the painting\'s crate, although the museum placed Green Bay\'s victory mark alongside the vanquished team\'s insignia.
As the wooden crate was pried opened directly in the Renoir room of the exhibition gallery for “Impressionism: Masterworks on Paper” that will open October 14, a statement from Pierre-Auguste Renoir above the empty space on the wall stated: “Why shouldn\'t things be pretty? There are enough unpleasant things in the world.”
One was thinking Renoir\'s statement could apply to a Packers Super Bowl win or an art lover\'s priceless painting, which was then carefully placed in position among the other Renoir artworks in the museum\'s gallery. Standing aside the picture, the voice for the Packers Wayne Larrivee mentioned to the media, “He was happy to be here to unveil the last spoils of Super Bowl XLV....There probably isn\'t another wager that was ever this valuable made on a Super Bowl.”
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Priceless…that\'s the term Wisconsin football fans and art lovers could all use. Those who cheered their home team to a memorable victory and the Midwest art enthusiasts who now have an exceptional opportunity to view this painting celebrating the classical female form from the 1880\'s.
Renoir painted more nudes than any other Impressionist to reflect the ancient traditions embodied in the nude. On view in his The Bathers, four nymphs as Renoir named them, frolic about on a beach with appealing \'sporting like\' action, tumbling on the shore. The artist was working in Southern France at the time and these models reflect what was both lovely and significant to his legacy in art history.
The Bathers represents only one image in a magnificent collection of over 100 artworks, primarily works on paper, from the great artists in the later half of the 19th century to the very beginnings of the 20th. While waiting for the media to subside after snapping pictures with their professional cameras, there was time to take a sneak peak at the “Masterworks on Paper” exhibition in its final stages of hanging. An adventure followed by asking guest curator Christopher Lloyd from London only one question. Instead of answering only the question, the charming Lloyd graciously walked through the exhibit, imparting his vast knowledge from being Surveyor of The Queen\'s Pictures for almost 20 years.
Catch his interview this weekend at Art Talk on how these works on paper influenced the direction of modern art and be sure to attend the lectures by Christopher Lloyd this Thursday and Friday at the MAM before he returns to England. He recommended reading the memoir by filmmaker Jean Renoir titled Renoir, My Father, which includes a recipe for Renoir\'s Chicken, a culinary combination of poultry and olives. Then slowly tour the exhibition to view Monet, Degas, Cassatt, Morisot, Pissarro, Gauguin, Van Gogh, Toulouse Lautrec and Cezanne alongside other less well-known artists with comparable genius. The exhibition takes one\'s breath away….
Attend lectures by Christopher Lloyd this week on Thursday, October 13 at 1:30 and 6:15 p.m. (tickets are required) or on Friday, October 14 at 1:30 p.m.. Other gallery talks and programs focusing on the exhibition will be presented at the MAM through January 8 when the exhibition closes.
