Curiously enough, we of the Assembly have never visited the Atheneum before, which perhaps makes it fitting that we get right down beneath the surface of things and make up for lost time. The exhibition is based on the application of recondite investigations through x-ray radiography and infrared imaging, laying bare the subsurface of some of the museum's outstanding paintings. To quote the museum's own publicity, this "small but powerful exhibition hopes to shed light on what is actually a more common phenomenon than previously thought ... Hidden from sight in some cases for hundreds of years, the images beneath the surface have increasingly become an important interpretive tool ... with progressively more sensitive ... equipment ... allowing us to safely penetrate the paint film to discover the hidden treasures."
In sum, "Not only will this exhibition showcase recent hidden discoveries made by the conservators, it will also bring together some of the Atheneum's most important masterpieces. In addition to van Gogh's Self Portrait and Renoir's Monet Painting In His Garden ... additional paintings included are Monet's Beach At Trouville, Rousseau's Landscape" and others.
Of course, we shall enjoy access during our visit to the museum to any of its galleries that we may choose to view, including other special exhibits; among these are two that are part of the worldwide centennial celebrations of Diaghilev's Ballets Russes.
Our day together will begin with lunch and a business meeting in a private room at Bertuccis's Restaurant, 2929 Berlin Turnpike in Newington. The restaurant stands by the southbound lane of the Berlin Turnpike (Routes 5 and 15) south of Hartford, next to the intersection with Route 176.
The restaurant has its own parking lot in front of the building; the Wadsworth Atheneum does not have its own parking lot, but there are many spaces on adjacent streets, and we are assured that parking on a Sunday will not be difficult. The museum's address is 600 Main Street
Nicholas Welchman
2/5/2009..