It’s that time of the year again! On Thursday, November 14, 2019, we will embark on a tour of the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, led by our very own Dr. Helga Kessler Aurisch, Curator of European Art at the museum. During our visit, we will explore the collections Monet to Picasso: A Very Private Collection and Berthe Morisot: Impressionist Original.
The first collection showcases paintings by legendary artists including Mary Cassatt, Paul Cézanne, Vincent van Gogh, Henri Matisse, Claude Monet, and Pablo Picasso. Never before exhibited in its entirety, this private collection makes its debut at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston as a part of the “An Impressionist Autumn” exhibition.
The second collection features the works of Berthe Morisot (1841-1895), one of the founding members and “trois grandes dames” of the impressionist movement. Morisot is renowned not only for her groundbreaking style and technique, but also for her unique subject matter. Her works grant us an intimate look into the private lives of Parisian women during a period of rapid urban growth and social change.
There is no one better to lead us on this visit than Dr. Helga Kessler Aurisch. Born in Germany, Dr. Aurisch moved to New York at the age of ten. She received her B.A. from Smith College before returning to Europe to pursue her M.A. and Ph.D. in Art History from the University of Vienna, Austria, and the University of Freiburg, Germany, respectively. After beginning her career at the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, Dr. Aurisch joined the MFAH staff in 2004. Since, she has been responsible for attracting first-rate European art exhibits to Houston. Dr. Aurisch specializes in nineteenth-century painting and will provide expert insight into the two collections we visit on our tour.
Due to the popularity of our guided MFAH visits, we will be offering two tours on November 14. The first starts at 6:30 p.m., and the second at 7:30 p.m. The tours begin in the main lobby of the Audrey Jones Beck Building (5601 Main St.). Parking is free in both MFAH garages for visitors who enter the museum between 5:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. on Thursdays. For those who are interested in meeting prior to the tours, the group for the 6:30 tour will meet at 5:45 pm and the 7:30 group will meet at 6:45 p.m. in the MFA Café for a drink, a bite to eat or just fellowship.
If you are not a member of the MFAH, the cost for the tour is $25 for persons under 65, and $20 for those above 65. Houston-Leipzig must prepay the MFAH in advance and therefore will not be taking payment at the event. Your reservation on the tour is preserved by prepaying for the tickets and registering here: https://fs11.formsite.com/hxHAGi/q5enxrdi3x/index.html?1573415320513
If you are a member of the MFAH and have not already used your member ticket to attend the exhibition, you can obtain a free entrance ticket by visiting one of the museum entrance desks and presenting your membership details. However, you must also register with us to participate in the tour: https://fs11.formsite.com/hxHAGi/q5enxrdi3x/index.html?1573415320513
Each group will be limited to 35, and the tickets are offered on a first-come, first-served basis. So please send in your reservation promptly if you will join us.
Questions: Please contact angelika@houstonleipzig.org or kathy@houstonleipzig.org
For more information on the exhibition, visit the MFAH website:
https://www.mfah.org/exhibitions/impressionist-autumn.