Publications




Exhibition catalog, by Alain Pasquier and Jean-Luc Martinez, Musée du Louvre Éditions / Somogy, c. 420 pp., c. 39 euros.
The exhibition catalog is published with generous support from the J.F. Costopoulos Foundation.

Exhibition album, by Jean-Luc Martinez, Musée du Louvre Éditions / Somogy, c.108 pp., c. 8 euros.
Published with generous support from Arjowiggins.

100 chefs-d’oeuvre de la sculpture grecque ("100 masterpieces of Greek Sculpture"), by Alain Pasquier and Jean-Luc Martinez, Musée du Louvre / Éditions Somogy, c. 320 pp., c. 25 euros.
Published with generous support from Arjowiggins.

Louvre publication

Auditorium


The Louvre Auditorium presents a program of events to mark the Praxiteles exhibition, with generous support from the Alexander S. Onassis Public Benefit Foundation.


International symposium, Louvre Auditorium
Free admission (subject to space)
Saturday, March 24, 2007
"Artists in Ancient Greece: The Limitations of the Monographic Approach" Directed by Alain Pasquier and Jean-Luc Martinez, Musée du Louvre.

The central influence of Greek and Roman statuary on the development of art forms from the Renaissance to the present day is universally acknowledged. However, the Praxiteles exhibition is the first large-scale French event devoted to this crucially-important discipline of ancient art. Other recent exhibitions include an exploration of the work of Polykleitos in Germany (Liebighaus, Frankfurt, 1990), and a "retrospective" of the career of Lysippos in Italy (Rome, Palazzo delle Esposizioni, 1996). It is only natural that the Louvre should in its turn dedicate an exhibition to the art of statuary in the ancient world – particularly given that the Louvre is privileged to hold a large number of marbles more or less closely associated with the works of Praxiteles (one of the best-known of all Greek sculptors, along with Lysippos, and Phidias.) The monographic approach is often ill-suited to the presentation of works from Antiquity, with notable exceptions including the exhibition Euphronois: An Athenian Painter from the 6th Century BC. In this context, however, it provides a rich framework for the study of Praxiteles's work, and is amply justified. The literary sources – in Greek and Latin – are full of information and comment on the career and output of this universally-admired Athenian master, a towering figure in the art of the 4th century BC, whose work had a profound influence on artists of the Hellenistic period, notably the representation of the female nude – of which he dared to carve the first known example in Greek art.
Complementing the Praxiteles exhibition at the Louvre, the symposium explores the difficulties associated with the monographic approach: how, in the 21st century, can we recreate the career and influence of the work of an individual sculptor from the ancient world? The Praxiteles exhibition curators have invited leading specialists to explore the monographic approach to the work of ancient artists, providing a fascinating insight into the central challenge tackled by the exhibition.

The lectures will be given in French, or in the native language of the speaker and translated simultaneously into French.

10 a.m.: "In Search of the Master", Jean-Luc Martinez, Musée du Louvre.
10.40 a.m.: "Lysippos after the Rome Exhibition of 1996", Paolo Moreno, Università degli Studi, Rome.
11.20 a.m.: "Praxiteles at the Louvre: An Approach to an Exhibition", Alain Pasquier, Musée du Louvre.
12 noon: Discussion.
2.30 p.m.: "Antenor: A Politically-Committed Sculptor?" Didier Viviers, Université Libre de Bruxelles.
3.10 p.m.: "Phidias: Master of Works at the Parthenon?" Bernard Holtzmann, Université Paris-10.
3.50 p.m.: "Euphranor: A Contemporary of Praxiteles," Olga Palagia, University of Athens.
4.30 p.m.: "Praxias, Son of Lysimachos: An Official Sculptor of the Athenian Democracy under Lycurgus," Francis Croissant, Université Paris-1.
5.10 p.m.: "Skopas and Praxiteles: Colleagues or Rivals?" Andrew Stewart, University of California, Berkeley.
5.50 p.m.: Discussion


Drama at the Auditorium
Friday and Saturday March 9 and 10, 2007 at 8.30 p.m.; Sunday, March 11, 2007, 4 p.m.
Le Banquet de Platon ("Plato's Banquet")
Directed, devised and adapted by Juliette Deschamps.
Based on the French translation by Maël Renouard (Éditions Rivages).

Louvre auditorium


Activities



Exhibition audio guide
Available in French, English and Spanish
Price: 5 euros.
The second in a series of special audio guides accompanying temporary exhibitions at the Louvre, narrated by the curators themselves: Jean-Luc Martinez and Alain Pasquier. A lively dialog delivers expert commentary and explanations from both curators, and explores their personal perspectives and favorite works.

Special evening event in the Praxiteles exhibition gallery
Admission free for under-26s.
Individual admission via the Group reception area, under the Pyramid.
Friday March 30, 7 p.m.
Meet the Praxiteles exhibition curators, Jean-Luc Martinez and Alain Pasquier.

Late-night viewing, on Fridays
May 4 and 18, 2007, 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Students talk about Praxiteles: Student guides (in blue and black T-shirts) present brief talks about the works, and answer questions in the exhibition gallery.

Connaître la forme ("Know your form")
An interactive approach to sculpture, and the Praxiteles exhibition.

An interactive installation focusing on the bronze cast of the Dancing Satyr from Mazara del Vallo will be installed at the end of the Praxiteles exhibition, next to the permanent collections (Saint Louis gallery, Sully Wing, lower ground floor).

This multimedia installation explores the central importance of lighting in our perception and understanding of a work of art, showing how light can provide multiple interpretations of a single work.

An interactive display presents a range of different lighting solutions designed to demonstrate how light can reconstitute color and matter, and reorganize or neutralize form. Lighting solutions designed by a group of experts are displayed on a video screen, illustrating the many different ways of "reading" a sculpture. Finally, two touch models (a scale version of the Dancing Satyr, and a detail of the head) will be presented in complete darkness, enabling the public to experience a wholly tactile "reading" of the piece.

The cast, and the interactive lighting system, have been generously loaned and installed by its creators, iGuzzini.
Creative lighting designers iGuzzini collaborate regularly with museums, and recently installed new lighting at the Louvre for the Apollo Gallery, the Salle du Manège and the Pavillon des Sessions.
With thanks to the Musée National Tactile Omero d’Ancône for contributing this installation.

The installation is located within the permanent collection, in the Saint Louis gallery (Sully wing, lower ground floor, Medieval Louvre), and is accessible to the visually impaired.
Admission free for individuals and groups.