The Annotations: George Cooke & Thomas Hope and the Influence of Antiquity exhibition is on view at the Columbus Museum through Sunday, July 22, 2012. George Cooke (1793-1849), who began his career as a self-taught painter, sought to increase his skill and knowledge by following the custom of many American artists in traveling to Europe.
During this period in 1828, Cooke copied passages from the introduction and figures from the engravings of noted antiquarian Thomas Hope’s Costume of the Ancients. His collection was accepted as a reliable visual guide to ancient costume and antiquities, and artists turned to it not only as a source for elements of ancient costume and ancient figure style but also for elegant poses of noble figures. Cooke was successful as a portrait painter, and this exhibition explores how he might have used the costumes and poses from Hope’s publication as inspiration for his portraits of Native Americans and of Henry Clay. The flow of inspiration from antiquity to the 19th century artwork of Hope and other American artists in the Museum’s collection is investigated by placing them side by side in this installation.
As an American art and regional history museum, and the second largest general museum in Georgia, the Columbus Museum offers a diverse collection to the public. The Museum houses over 14,000 artifacts and objects that tell the story of the Chattahoochee River Valley’s development, an American fine art collection from a host of renowned American artists, a hands-on gallery for children, and the finest traveling exhibitions from across the US.
Admission to the Columbus Museum, on Wynnton Road east of downtown Columbus, and to special exhibitions, is free.
For more information about the Columbus Museum or The Annotations: George Cooke & Thomas Hope and the Influence of Antiquity exhibition and the educational programming associated with the exhibition, please visit the Columbus Museum online here. The Museum’s online companion to the exhibit is here.
Where to find it
Click above to go to a larger Google interactive map of the area.
Posted online on Thursday, April 12th, 2012