European Master Paintings, Decorative Arts, Rare Columbus Documents, and more from Illustrious Alba Collection on View at Nashville's Frist Center

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Dec. 9, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Featuring works by Dürer, Goya, Murillo, Renoir, Ribera, Rubens, and more from the splendid palaces of the Alba dynasty in Spain, Treasures from the House of Alba: 500 Years of Art and Collecting will make its second and final stop in the U.S. at Nashville's Frist Center for the Visual Arts from February 5 through May 1, 2016. Co-organized by the Meadows Museum and the Casa de Alba Foundation, the exhibition brings together more than 130 works of art, dating from antiquity to the twentieth century, drawn from one of the oldest and most impressive private collections in Europe.

Exhibition highlights include masterpieces of Dutch, Flemish, German, Italian, and Spanish painting, such as Francisco Goya's The Duchess of Alba in White (1795), along with four other major portraits by the great Spanish master, two of which will be on loan from the Museo Nacional del Prado in Madrid. Several Christopher Columbus documents will be on display, including his list of men who accompanied him on his 1492 Journey of Discovery and a drawing of the coastline of La Española (Hispaniola), the first island he encountered in the New World (now occupied by the Dominican Republic and Haiti). The illuminated Alba Family Bible (finished in 1430) is one of the earliest known translations of the Old Testament from Hebrew into a Romance language. Prints and drawings, sculptures, historical documents, illuminated manuscripts, decorative objects, and tapestries provide further insight into the influential role of the Alba family in European history.

The two-city tour marks the first major exhibition outside Spain of works from the collection of the House of Alba—one of the most prominent noble families with ties to the Spanish monarchy since the fifteenth century. "Today, the Alba name is most closely associated with the glamorous lifestyle of the 18th Duchess of Alba, doña Maria del Rosario Cayetana Fitz-James Stuart, who died in 2014," says Frist Center Curator Trinita Kennedy.

"Charismatic and vivacious, Cayetana was one of Spain's best-known and most recognizable public figures. She was a lifelong champion of the arts and understood the historical significance of her family and its art collection."

Through commissions, acquisitions, and dynastic marriages, the family's dukes and duchesses have assembled a collection whose objects tell a story that extends beyond Spain to include many cultural developments that have shaped Europe. From Renaissance Italy to the Dutch Golden Age, and from the courtly splendor of the Baroque to the high ideals of the Enlightenment, the collection offers an extraordinary window into European history.

The exhibition curator is Dr. Fernando Checa Cremades, former director of the Museo Nacional del Prado in Madrid, who also served as editor of the accompanying catalogue. The exhibition is organized in a manner that explains the historical development of the family and the collection from the end of the 15th century to the present day. Aside from selected works from other lenders such as the Prado Museum's Goya portraits that were once part of the Alba collection, a majority of the objects in the exhibition originate from three of the splendid palaces that historically belong to the lineage. The first of them is the Liria Palace in Madrid, an 18th-century building influenced by Parisian architectural styles that was severely damaged during the Spanish Civil War and rebuilt under the 17th Duke of Alba and the 18th Duchess of Alba; the second palace is the Dueñas Palace in Seville, a magnificent Renaissance/Mudejar construction from the 16th century, the most important in this style preserved in Spain; the third is the Monterrey Palace in Salamanca, a masterpiece of the Spanish Renaissance.

Exhibition Credit

The exhibition was co-organized by the Meadows Museum and the Casa de Alba Foundation. A generous gift from The Meadows Foundation made this project possible.

This exhibition is supported by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities.

Exhibition Catalogue

The exhibition is accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogue edited by Fernando Checa. The catalogue is published by Ediciones El Viso.

Sponsor Acknowledgment

Platinum Sponsor: HCA Foundation on behalf of HCA and TriStar Health

The Frist Center for the Visual Arts is supported in part by the Metro Nashville Arts Commission, the Tennessee Arts Commission, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Public Programs

Friday, February 5                                     
Opening Day Lecture Treasures from the House of Alba presented by Mark A. Roglán, PhD, The Linda P. and William A. Custard Director of the Meadows Museum
6:30 p.m.                                                      
Frist Center Auditorium                  
Gallery admission required; free to members                                         
Join Dr. Roglán for a lecture exploring the historic and cultural legacy of the Alba family and the formation of its storied art collection, including renowned portraits by Francisco Goya.

About the Frist Center
Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, the Frist Center for the Visual Arts is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit art exhibition center dedicated to presenting and originating high-quality exhibitions with related educational programs and community outreach activities. Located at 919 Broadway in downtown Nashville, Tenn., the Frist Center offers the finest visual art from local, regional, national, and international sources in a program of changing exhibitions that inspire people through art to look at their world in new ways. The Frist Center's Martin ArtQuest Gallery features interactive stations relating to Frist Center exhibitions. Information on accessibility may be found at fristcenter.org/accessibility. The galleries, Café, and Gift Shop are open seven days a week: Mondays through Wednesdays, and Saturdays, 10:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m.; Thursdays and Fridays, 10:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m.; and Sundays, 1:00–5:30 p.m., with the Café opening at noon. Additional information is available by calling 615.244.3340 or by visiting fristcenter.org.                

SOURCE Frist Center for the Visual Arts

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