{"id":7663,"global_id":"portlandartmuseum.org?id=7663","global_id_lineage":["portlandartmuseum.org?id=7663"],"author":"15","status":"publish","date":"2023-09-27 12:16:12","date_utc":"2023-09-27 19:16:12","modified":"2024-07-11 15:51:02","modified_utc":"2024-07-11 22:51:02","url":"https:\/\/portlandartmuseum.org\/event\/masterworks-portland-georges-de-la-tour\/","rest_url":"https:\/\/portlandartmuseum.org\/wp-json\/tribe\/events\/v1\/events\/7663","title":"Masterworks | Portland: Georges de La Tour","description":"

Overview<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Portland Art Museum is pleased to present Georges de La Tour\u2019s painting The Magdalen with the Smoking Flame<\/em><\/strong> (circa 1635\u201337), a treasure of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. The exhibition is the sixth installment of the Museum\u2019s ongoing Masterworks | Portland series, which focuses on individual works of outstanding quality by great artists not represented in the Museum\u2019s collection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Georges de La Tour (French, 1593-1652) was one of the great painters of light. He mostly specialized in nighttime scenes in which artificial light sources play an active role. These were certainly not new in European art, but La Tour was exceptional for the way he used light to establish mood and to convey the essential qualities of the subject. Typically, the light illuminates only the essential details, and the geometry of his austere compositions endows them with monumentality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mary Magdalen\u2014the leading woman among the first followers of Jesus\u2014was the paradigm of the sinner reformed by a life of solitary contemplation and penance. Thus, La Tour\u2019s work very appropriately captures her lost in transcendent state. The mood of concentrated meditation is heightened by the distinct aura of light and especially by the darkened lower part of the composition. Other than the wafting smoke, the scene is profoundly still and quiet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Focus on an object is a basic principle of meditation, and here the Magdalen is absorbed by the flame of an oil lamp. In this context, it principally symbolizes the light of divine truth in reference to Jesus\u2019 declaration: \u201cI am the light of the world; he that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.\u201d (John 8:12). Thus, in La Tour\u2019s painting, the light becomes a naturalistic manifestation of the divine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

La Tour expressed Mary Magdalen\u2019s contemplative state in a striking way. Everyone knows the entrancing quality of flames, and the artist used this to make the Magdalen\u2019s absorption poignant and real to viewers. He skillfully manipulates the light as a foil to the enveloping darkness, not only as an evocation of Jesus\u2019 words, but to draw the spectator into the Magdalen\u2019s state of mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Georges de La Tour\u2019s naturalistic style has proven to be very popular with modern audiences. This painting became one of his most famous works thanks to its depiction in Disney\u2019s 1989 animated film The Little Mermaid<\/em>. During the classic song \u201cPart of Your World,\u201d the young mermaid Ariel joins the Magdalen in gazing at the flame as she sings, \u201cWhat\u2019s a fire, and why does it\u2014what\u2019s the word?\u2014burn?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Magdalen with the Smoking Flame<\/em> is sure to spark reflection and emotion during its stay in Portland. Do not miss this opportunity for close looking and in-depth understanding of one of the great Old Master paintings in America.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Curated by Dawson Carr, Ph.D., The Janet and Richard Geary Curator of European Art.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Acknowledgements<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Mr. and Mrs. William A. Whitsell European and American Art Council of the Portland Art Museum Ann Flowerree Marilyn Podemski and Max Podemski in memory of Evelyn Ross Dee Poth Exhibitions Series Sponsors<\/em><\/p>","excerpt":"","slug":"masterworks-portland-georges-de-la-tour","image":{"url":"https:\/\/portlandartmuseum.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/La-Tour_MAGDALEN_cropped.jpg","id":7664,"extension":"jpg","width":950,"height":712,"filesize":166191,"sizes":{"medium":{"width":700,"height":525,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","filesize":52056,"url":"https:\/\/portlandartmuseum.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/La-Tour_MAGDALEN_cropped-700x525.jpg"},"thumbnail":{"width":270,"height":270,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","filesize":15280,"url":"https:\/\/portlandartmuseum.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/La-Tour_MAGDALEN_cropped-270x270.jpg"},"medium_large":{"width":768,"height":576,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","filesize":60634,"url":"https:\/\/portlandartmuseum.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/La-Tour_MAGDALEN_cropped-768x576.jpg"},"small":{"width":375,"height":500,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","filesize":34096,"url":"https:\/\/portlandartmuseum.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/La-Tour_MAGDALEN_cropped-375x500.jpg"},"medium-large":{"width":900,"height":675,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","filesize":80587,"url":"https:\/\/portlandartmuseum.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/La-Tour_MAGDALEN_cropped-900x675.jpg"},"card":{"width":904,"height":565,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","filesize":71325,"url":"https:\/\/portlandartmuseum.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/La-Tour_MAGDALEN_cropped-904x565.jpg"},"post":{"width":950,"height":500,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","filesize":77026,"url":"https:\/\/portlandartmuseum.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/La-Tour_MAGDALEN_cropped-950x500.jpg"}}},"all_day":true,"start_date":"2019-04-13 00:00:00","start_date_details":{"year":"2019","month":"04","day":"13","hour":"00","minutes":"00","seconds":"00"},"end_date":"2019-10-13 23:59:59","end_date_details":{"year":"2019","month":"10","day":"13","hour":"23","minutes":"59","seconds":"59"},"utc_start_date":"2019-04-13 07:00:00","utc_start_date_details":{"year":"2019","month":"04","day":"13","hour":"07","minutes":"00","seconds":"00"},"utc_end_date":"2019-10-14 06:59:59","utc_end_date_details":{"year":"2019","month":"10","day":"14","hour":"06","minutes":"59","seconds":"59"},"timezone":"America\/Vancouver","timezone_abbr":"","cost":"","cost_details":{"currency_symbol":"$","currency_code":"USD","currency_position":"prefix","values":[]},"website":"","show_map":false,"show_map_link":false,"hide_from_listings":false,"sticky":false,"featured":false,"categories":[{"name":"Exhibitions","slug":"exhibitions","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":17,"taxonomy":"tribe_events_cat","description":"","parent":0,"count":201,"filter":"raw","id":17,"urls":{"self":"https:\/\/portlandartmuseum.org\/wp-json\/tribe\/events\/v1\/categories\/17","collection":"https:\/\/portlandartmuseum.org\/wp-json\/tribe\/events\/v1\/categories"}}],"tags":[],"venue":{"id":290,"author":"1","status":"publish","date":"2023-03-28 10:28:29","date_utc":"2023-03-28 17:28:29","modified":"2024-03-07 10:38:06","modified_utc":"2024-03-07 18:38:06","url":"https:\/\/portlandartmuseum.org\/venue\/portland-art-museum\/","venue":"Portland Art Museum","description":"

The Museum is conveniently located on the historic Park Blocks in the center of downtown Portland, which is easy to get around by public transit or on foot. The Portland Business Alliance has installed way-finding signs which direct you to the cultural district, where the Museum is located.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Parking<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There is generally plenty of street parking surrounding the Museum. These spaces range from 1 \u2013 4 hours and can be paid for using a credit card or the Parking Kitty app<\/a>. There are also surface parking lots, and parking garages within 1 \u2013 4 blocks of the Museum. The closest surface lot is located at SW Main St. between SW 10th Ave. and Park Ave, and there are dedicated accessible and van accessible spaces. This lot accepts credit card or the Reef app<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Public transit<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Getting to get to the Museum by public transportation is straightforward and economical. The bus and streetcar travel directly past the Museum, and the MAX light rail has a stop only four blocks away.\u00a0TriMet\u2019s Trip Planner<\/a>\u00a0gives you step-by-step travel directions from your location by bus, light rail, or streetcar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n