The Sense of Beauty: Six Centuries of Painting from Museo de Arte de Ponce
Sustainers’ Preview
Wednesday, June 17 | 5-8 pm
Be the first to see this celebrated collection from Puerto Rico! Sustainer members are invited to the exclusive preview event in celebration of OKCMOA’s summer exhibition, The Sense of Beauty.
5 pm | Reception in the Museum Lobby
6 pm | Lecture in the Noble Theater
8 pm | Galleries close
RSVP today! Send an email to rsvp@okcmoa.com or call 405.278.8207.
ABOUT THE LECTURE
“Our Museum is a Dream Come True”: Luis A. Ferré and His Collection for Puerto Rico
Celebrating the legacy of Luis A. Ferré, founder of the Museo de Arte de Ponce, The Sense of Beauty features sixty paintings by European, Puerto Rican, and North American artists. These works not only represent the museum’s collection but also reflect Ferré’s vision, which he clearly expressed at the cornerstone laying ceremony for the museum’s building: “Here, culture will be made with universal harmonies, but with Puerto Rican notes…” This lecture will explore how Ferré’s dream of creating an art museum for his fellow citizens took shape, thanks to his persistence and the support of his advisors over the years.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Iraida Rodríguez-Negrón serves as Chief Curator at the Museo de Arte de Ponce, where she oversees a collection that offers a rich overview of Western art along with an important collection of Puerto Rican art. She has curated numerous exhibitions on topics ranging from Italian art of the Cinquecento to twentieth-century Puerto Rican art. Additionally, she has curated, edited, and authored the accompanying catalogue for two traveling exhibitions, including The Sense of Beauty: Six Centuries of Painting from Museo de Arte de Ponce. She is currently leading the reinstallation of the museum’s permanent collection, which is scheduled to reopen in 2028.
ABOUT THE EXHIBITION
Commemorating the 65th anniversary of the Museo de Arte de Ponce in Puerto Rico, The Sense of Beauty: Six Centuries of Painting from Museo de Arte de Ponce presents a selection of sixty paintings by European, Puerto Rican, and North American artists that reflect the scope and diversity of the museum’s collection. The exhibition is organized into five sections based on themes that have been popular in the history of art: scenes of daily life, landscapes, religion, portraiture, and the concept of beauty. This juxtaposition of masterpieces from the sixteenth through the twenty-first century fosters a visual and thematic dialogue, establishing unexpected connections between works that correspond to different historical and geographical contexts.
The Sense of Beauty will showcase masterworks by prominent European and North American artists, including religious paintings by Lucas Cranach the Elder, Peter Paul Rubens, and Anthony van Dyck; portraits by Joshua Reynolds, Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun, and Francisco de Goya; landscapes by Frederic Edwin Church, William Merritt Chase, and Gustave Courbet; and genre scenes by William-Adolphe Bouguereau, James Tissot, and John Singer Sargent. The Museo de Arte de Ponce is also renowned for having one of the most significant collections of Victorian art outside of the United Kingdom. Their iconic painting Flaming June by Frederic Leighton will be featured along with works by Dante Gabriel Rossetti and John Everett Millais. Additionally, the exhibition will highlight the rich heritage of Puerto Rican art, from José Campeche’s religious images of the late eighteenth century to the work of contemporary artists such as Francisco Rodón, Myrna Báez, and Waldemar Morales Lugo.
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Image Credit: Carlos Irizarry (Puerto Rico, 1938-2017), Portrait of Don Luis A. Ferré, 1991, mixed media on canvas, 48 1/4 x 48 1/4 in. (122.55 x 122.5 cm), Museo de Arte de Ponce. The Luis A. Ferré Foundation, Inc. Gift of Carlos Conde III. Portrait based on a photograph by and property of Pablo Cambó Prida
