With E = mc2, scientist Albert Einstein created a new view of the universe. With his seascapes, artist Edouard Manet inspired others to look at painting in a new, and newly modern, way.
Two exhibits opening this week, the Field Museum’s “Einstein” and the Art Institute of Chicago’s “Manet and the Sea,” will conspire to make these subjects accessible, interactive and fun.
In that spirit, we look at the similarities in these two major exhibits.
Paintings help tell the stories
MANET: “Manet and the Sea” features 40 of Edouard Manet’s seascapes from 1864 to 1881, and dozens of other marine paintings by Eugene Delacroix, Gustave Courbet, Claude Monet, Pierre Auguste Renoir, Berthe Morisot and others.
“There has never been a focused study on this significant body of work [seascapes],” said Douglas Druick, Searle curator of European painting and Prince Trust curator of prints and drawings at the Art Institute of Chicago. “It speaks to the unfolding of the history that we are trying to tell.
“It’s like this selective dialogue. All shows have a theme, but the point [in ‘Manet and the Sea’] is . . . looking at the same subject and appreciating the differences and similarities.”
Einstein: “Einstein,” an exhibition of the work, life and loves of Albert Einstein, will feature a portrait of Einstein by Herman Struck, as well as photographs, personal items, letters, multimedia displays and original manuscripts.
“This is the most comprehensive Einstein exhibit because it talks about his science and him,” said Cheryl Bardoe, project administrator for “Einstein.” “I think people think of Einstein as a brainiac with a weird hairdo; people will be surprised at the impact he had on science and culture.
“The power of Einstein’s celebrity has been described as Madonna, Elvis Presley and Michael Jordan all in one. Einstein was able to take this incredible fame from science and leverage that in an opportunity to speak out about other issues: civil rights, pacifism, nuclear disarmament and world government.”
Manet and Einstein were trendsetters
Manet was considered one of the most avant-garde artists of his generation. Loath to be classified as an Impressionist because of his larger body of work, he was still considered the father of the Impressionist movement, having gathered a following of younger artists who were inspired by his radical works.
“Manet and the sea”
When: Mon.-Jan. 19, 2004 n Where: Art Institute of Chicago, 111 S. Michigan Ave. Special extended hours; call for times n Fee: $12-$15 (includes general museum admission), 312-930-4040
Einstein dared to be different. “He had a mistrust for authority and that served him well in his theories because it enabled him to not take for granted what was acceptable and had been accepted for many years,” said Bardoe. “So when he changed our theory on gravity, he was contradicting Newton’s theory of gravity, and these were the foundations for all of our ideas about matter in our physical world.”
“Einstein”
When: Fri..-Jan. 19, 2004 n Where: The Field Museum, 1400 S. Lake Shore Drive; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily n Fee: $7-$15 (includes general museum admission), 312-922-9410, 312-902-1500
The Chicago connections
Manet: “Across generations people love the sea. There’s something mesmerizing that makes it very immediate to any audience,” said Douglas Druick, Searle curator of European painting and Prince Trust curator of prints and drawings at the Art Institute of Chicago. “Chicagoans have the lake at their feet, and I think that this city and the citizens will be responsive to what these different artists are trying to capture: the different moods of water in motion. And I think they will appreciate more what these artists were able to achieve.”
Einstein: “One of the things about having `Einstein’ at the Field Museum is that there are real live scientists here,” said Cheryl Bardoe, project administrator for “Einstein.” “We have about 70 scientists on staff working in zoology, botany, geology and anthropology, and it’s a really nice complement because you get to see what life is like for a scientist. Einstein really had curiosity, imagination and a willingness to take risks. A lot of creativity goes into the scientific process, and it’s about that passion for learning, about that unquenchable curiosity.”
Manet and Einstein were unconventional in their crafts
Manet: Manet made it a point to never repeat himself; his work ranged from figure painting to the painting of everyday subject matter, a foundation of Impressionism.
Einstein: Einstein’s mind was his notebook. He didn’t do experiments; most of his work was done in his writings. But he wasn’t a recluse and was active in the scientific community, participating in conferences and exchanging notes and dialogue with his close friends who were philosophers, mathematicians and scientists.
Both shows have audio tours
Manet: The “Manet and the Sea” audio tour will feature commentary by Druick and Gloria Groom, David and Mary Winton Green curator of European painting at the Art Institute of Chicago. The tour can also be used to explore the collection of American Arts at the museum. The cost of the audio tour is $6.
Einstein: The “Einstein” audio tour features Dr. Michael M. Shara, curator and curator-in-charge, department of astrophysics, division of physical sciences, American Museum of Natural History, and interviews with Robert Schulmann, senior editor with the Einstein Papers Project, California Institute of Technology, and Marcia Bartusiak, science writer, visiting professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and author of “Einstein’s Unfinished Symphony: Listening to the Sounds of Space-Time.” The cost of the audio tour is $4-$5.
Both exhibits are family friendly
Manet: “Manet and the Sea” has programs for children in the Kraft Education Center, as well as lectures and other events related to the exhibit. The “Bon Voyage! Journeys by Sea” program will take families on a tour of the Art Institute’s permanent collection galleries with artist Leslie Baum to look at works of art showing adventures on the high sea and then offering an opportunity to create their own imaginative vessels with watercolors, decorative papers and other collage materials. 10:30-11:30 a.m. Nov. 1 and 8 for ages 4-6 and 2-3:30 p.m. for ages 7-12. Free with museum admission. Check the Art Institute’s Web site (www.artic.edu) for information on other programs.
Einstein: The Einstein exhibit is recommended for middle school-aged children and older, but the museum will offer interactive workshops that include activities for children as young as 4. Using only one sheet of paper and your imagination, explore different dimensions in “Adventures in Four Dimensions,” 11:30 a.m. Nov. 10. For families with children 4-6, the $20 pre-registration includes admission to “Einstein.” The Field Museum’s Web site (www.fieldmuseum.org) has information on more programs and exhibit-related events.
School days
Manet: Manet was not a very good student, to his family’s dismay; they received reports about his lack of application and poor handwriting.
Einstein: Einstein did surprisingly well in school, dispelling the myth that geniuses do not. Einstein’s family wasn’t sure about his learning abilities; he didn’t speak until he was 2 1/2.
They shared a love of sailing
Manet: Manet spent time in his youth as a sailor, and the play of wind, light and boats across the water fascinated him. After a three-month excursion from Paris to Brazil, he wrote to his mother, “It is impossible to form an idea of the sea if you haven’t seen it as wild as we did.”
Einstein: Einstein enjoyed sailing because, he said, “It is the sport which demands the least energy.” Though he carried a compass, he frequently drifted and ran aground, but didn’t mind because he felt the wind cleared his mind.
In the swim
Manet: Manet spent many summers in a beach vacation area in Boulogne.
Einstein: In Berlin, Einstein had a boat called Tummler–German for “porpoise”–and in the U.S., a boat called Tinef–Yiddish for “junk or worthless thing.” He loved to sail these vessels, but could not swim and refused to wear a life jacket.
Einstein and Manet were married men
Manet: Manet was married to Suzanne Leenhoff, the daughter of a Dutch organist and a gifted pianist who taught Manet and his brother Eugene. Suzanne was a model for Manet.
Einstein: Einstein had two wives and many affairs. His second wife was his cousin Elsa Einstein. He was first interested in one of Elsa’s daughters, but settled for Elsa.
