TWO ONLY-IN-PHILADELPHIA EXHIBITIONS EXPLORE THE STARS AND BEYOND

10-09-2008

 

Philadelphia Is The Exclusive Destination For

Galileo, Medici and the Age of Astronomy And Cézanne and Beyond

 

PHILADELPHIA, October 8, 2008 – Museum fans are gearing up for the arrival of two major exhibitions making their exclusive appearances in Philadelphia. Galileo, Medici and the Age of Astronomy will be on display at The Franklin from April through September 2009, and Cézanne and Beyond will be on view at the Philadelphia Museum of Art from February 26 through May 17, 2009. During the nearly two-month period when the exhibits are running simultaneously, visitors will have a chance to see both shows at museums that are just blocks away from one another on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

Ever since the first posthumous exhibition of Cézanne’s works in 1907, artists have been inspired by the master’s daring creativity. In early 2009, the Philadelphia Museum of Art will bring together some 150 works, including 40 paintings and 20 drawings by Cézanne and many more paintings, drawings, photographs and sculptures by 17 other masters from succeeding generations. In Cézanne and Beyond, visitors can see how he influenced the next generation of artists, including Henri Matisse, Picasso and Fernand Leger and how he continued to serve as a touchstone for such living masters as Jasper Johns, Brice Marsden and Ellsworth Kelly, as well as younger artists today. In addition to selections from its own collections, the museum has secured loans from many private and public collections, including the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, the National Gallery in London and the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg. 

 

For the first time in history, one of only two telescopes used by Galileo will leave Italy as part of Galileo, Medici and the Age of Astronomy, a collaboration between The Franklin and Istituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza in Florence, Italy. In celebration of the 400^th anniversary of Galileo’s breakthroughs and the International Year of Astronomy, the exhibition will explore how art, science and the Medicis’ political dynasty were essential components of the astronomer’s polyhedral dial, a spiral thermometer and other centuries-old artifacts used by Galileo, the Medicis and other scientists of the time. And of course, The Franklin’s Fels Planetarium will conduct specially themed programs during the exhibition’s run.

 

Visitors who want to take their time to enjoy both shows can book the Philly Overnight® Hotel Package, which includes two-night hotel accommodations, free parking (a savings of around $75 at most Center City hotels), a Philly’s More Fun™ teddy bear and a Macy’s Savings Pass, at gophila.com.

 

The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) makes Philadelphia and The Countryside® a premier destination through marketing and image building that increases business and promotes the region’s vitality.

 

For more information about travel to Philadelphia, visit gophila.com or uwishunu.com, where you can build itineraries; search event calendars; see photos and videos; view interactive maps; sign up for newsletters; listen to HearPhilly, an online radio station about what to see and do in the region; book hotel reservations and more. Or, call the Independence Visitor Center, located in Historic Philadelphia, at (800) 537-7676.

 

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