AGO TO PRESENT 'DRAMA AND DESIRE: ARTISTS AND THE THEATER'

LUST. PASSION. MURDER. MANY OF THE GREATEST ARTISTS OF THE 19th CENTURY SHARED A PROFOUND FASCINATION WITH THE THEATER AND ITS THEMES OF TRIUMPH AND DESTRUCTION, LOVE AND DESPAIR. THIS SUMMER, THE ART GALLERY OF ONTARIO (AGO), TORONTO, GIVES CENTER STAGE TO KEY ARTWORKS BY SUCH ARTISTS AS EUGENE DELACROIX, JACQUES-LOUIS DAVID, JEAN AUGUSTE DOMINIQUE INGRES, WILLIAM BLAKE AMONG OTHERS IN A MAJOR INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION TITLED 'DRAMA AND DESIRE: ARTISTS AND THE THEATER', OPENING 19.JUNE AND CONTINUING THROUGH 26.SEPTEMBER. CONCEIVED BY GUY COGEVAL, PRESIDENT OF THE MUSEE D'ORSAY IN PARIS, THE EXHIBITION INCLUDES OVER 100 PAINTINGS, DRAWINGS AND THEATRICAL MAQUETTES FROM THE COLLECTIONS OF SOME OF THE WORLD'S GREATEST MUSEUMS, INCLUDING THE LOUVRE, THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART, THE MUSEE D'ORSAY, THE BRITISH MUSEUM AND THE VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM. THE AGO HAS COMMISSIONED GERARD GAUCI, SET DESIGNER FOR TORONTO'S OPERA ATELIER, TO MAKE DRAMA AND DESIRE AN EXPERIENCE LIKE NO OTHER. VISITORS WILL ENTER THE EXHIBITION BY WALKING 'ONSTAGE' THROUGH A LIFE-SIZE 18th CENTURY SET; THE WORKS WILL BE DISPLAYED USING ENHANCED LIGHTING, SOUND AND VIDEO COMPONENTS AS WELL AS INNOVATIVE THEATRICAL DEVICES; AND A FULL-SCALE RE-CREATION OF AN EARLY 20th CENTURY THEATER MARQUETTE WILL MARK THE FINALE OF THE EXHIBITION. 'WE WANT OUR VISITORS TO FEEL AS IF THEY ARE ONSTAGE ALONGSIDE THE SUBJECTS OF THESE EXTRAORDINARY WORKS', SAID A SPOKESPERSON FOR THE AGO. 'THESE WORKS RARELY LEAVE THEIR HOME INSTITUTIONS, SO WE ARE ESPECIALLY HONORED TO BE THE SOLE NORTH AMERICAN VENUE FOR DRAMA AND DESIRE.'
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