CLARK ART INSTITUTE EXPLORES ICONIC RENOIR PAINTING ‘Looking And Lunching’

WILLIAMSTOWN, Ma. — The Clark Art Institute hosts a session of “Looking and Lunching” on Thursday, May 17 at 12 pm. Lauren Cannady, assistant director of the Clark’s Research and Academic Program and Manton Postdoctoral Fellow, leads a half-hour gallery discussion focused on Onions, an oil painting by Pierre-Auguste Renoir. After the gallery talk, participants join in continued discussion over lunch with Cannady and fellow art lovers.

Renoir painted the casual arrangement of onions and garlic piled on crumpled cloth during a visit to Naples in 1881. Clear light and fluid brushstrokes define the onions’ round, solid forms and capture the shiny, papery quality of their skins. Sterling Clark often stated that this was his favorite of the many paintings by Renoir in the Clark’s collection, and it remains a visitor favorite today.

This event is free with gallery admission; arrive early to pre-order and purchase your meal from Café 7 or bring your own lunch. Limited seating available.

The Clark Art Institute, located in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts, is one of a small number of institutions globally that is both an art museum and a center for research, critical discussion, and higher education in the visual arts. Opened in 1955, the Clark houses exceptional European and American paintings and sculpture, extensive collections of master prints and drawings, English silver, and early photography. Acting as convener through its Research and Academic Program, the Clark gathers an international community of scholars to participate in a lively program of conferences, colloquia, and workshops on topics of vital importance to the visual arts. The Clark library, consisting of more than 270,000 volumes, is one of the nation’s premier art history libraries. The Clark also houses and co-sponsors the Williams College Graduate Program in the History of Art.

The Clark, which has a three-star rating in the Michelin Green Guide, is located at 225 South Street in Williamstown, Massachusetts. Galleries are open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm. Admission is $20; free year-round for Clark members, children 18 and younger, and students with valid ID. Free admission is available through several programs, including First Sundays Free; a local library pass program; EBT Card to Culture; Bank of America Museums on Us; and Blue Star Museums. For more information on these programs and more, visit clarkart.edu or call 413 458 2303.