Sotheby's to Present Divine Comedy - 30 September - 19 October 2010, New York
From 30 September to 19 October 2010 Sotheby’s New York will present Divine Comedy, an exhibition that will spotlight humor in the visual arts through the lens of Dante’s epic poem. Drawing on Sotheby’s expertise across many different collecting categories and time periods, the exhibition of approximately 80 works will place Contemporary art in dialogue with Antiquities, African Art, Old Master paintings, 19th Century European art, Modern and Surrealist works, Latin American paintings and 20th Century Design. Following the journey Dante takes in the Divine Comedy, visitors to Sotheby’s exhibition will travel through Inferno, Purgatory and Paradise, exploring how for centuries artists have harnessed the power of humor in their work. An undercurrent of wit and satire, often tinged with irreverence, will be the hallmark of the art that is presented. The Inferno will highlight the darker, more horrific side of humor.
The exhibition will include works both on loan and for sale which have been drawn from a community of private collectors, foundations, artists, and dealers. The show will be installed in Sotheby’s spectacular 10th floor galleries designed by renowned architect Richard Gluckman. Among the artists represented are: Francis Bacon, William Adolphe Bouguereau, Maurizio Cattelan, Peter Bruegel the Younger, Leonora Carrington, Salvador Dali, Frans Francken, Damien Hirst, Martin Kippenberger, Jeff Koons, Takashi Murakami, Richard Prince, Man Ray, Auguste Rodin and Andy Warhol. Of the works available for purchase, prices range from $30,000 to more than $10 million.