New installation in the Music Room featuring the “School of Paris”. Photo: Joshua Navarro

Preparators Alec MacKaye and Bill Koberg install Modigliani’s Elena Pvolozky in the Music Room as part of the “School of Paris” installation. Photo: Renee Maurer

The music room was recently installed with modern European works from the collection. The paintings featured are by artists who were either born in France or immigrated there to work in Paris during the first half of the twentieth century. A destination for artists of all nationalities, many spent time in the lively Parisian neighborhoods of Montmartre and Montparnasse and experienced thriving and unparalleled creativity. Loosely grouped as the “School of Paris“, these painters experimented with diverse styles and techniques, from Cubism to Expressionism, to convey traditional subjects such as portraiture, landscapes, and still life. This installation includes paintings by André Derain (b. Chatou, France, 1880–d. Garches, France 1954); Maurice Utrillo (b. Paris, 1883–d. Paris, 1955); Amedeo Modigliani (b. Livorno, Italy 1884–d. Paris, 1920); Chaim Soutine (b. Smilovitchi, Lithuania 1893–d. Paris, 1943); and Georges Rouault (b. Paris, 1871–d. Paris, 1958).

Did you ever wonder how works are installed in the music room? Very carefully. Preparators Alec MacKaye and Bill Koberg are shown above on scaffolding in the process of hanging Elena Povolozky (1917) by Modigliani.

Renée Maurer, Assistant Curator