Page 6-Friday, February 29, 1980-The Michigan Daily It's not the end of the century The a8:00 FPMt at THE PUNCH AND JUDY TH EATER 21 Korcheval (between Cadleux and Moross) Gross. Point. Farms 48236 Info: Col 881-262 1 or 881l-2618 s ( T I By JONATHAN KUHN Those of you who think we've just en- tered the 1980's have been misinfor.- med. The 18th-century is with us. And to help us manage this time warp is a fine sampling of eighteenth century prints and drawings from the University art museum's permanent collection run- ning through March 9th. Coming after the Impressionist show, the 18th- century exhibit has a tough act to follow. However, it does not pretend to is representativeof a bygmoneages).h This exhibition of prints and drawings is a bit more demanding than others. Visitors cannot gallop through and expect to get a general sense of these works, much less their subtleties. No, this show requires a good hard look. All the works are on an intimate scale; their personal nature is appropriate for an age in which art was being viewed by an ever increasing segment of the p.ublic. The 18th-century witnessed the rise of the bourgeoisie, and the ap- pearance of art dealers and art a II Si- ,ylCil' i ~~1jjeve~~ AFrC ril S1vefS etl ยง0 1U tfl 5rt galleries. More and more people had the inclination and the means to buy works of art. Prints proved to be a satisfactory solution to meeting this in- creased demand for private THE C tOMPLEX effects achieved in many of these 18th century prints are often astounding. In some cases, however, technical virtuosity super- cedes artistic merit. During the 18th- century a great variety of media were available to the aspiring printmaker. These included engraving, etching, and the more complicated mezzotints and acquatints, among others. We find in the current show a distinction between those artists exploiting their medium with imaginative purpose, and those merely subservient to studied copying. These la tter art4s ts ( ty pif ied by Cereau's replic of Lagiere' sel as possible painterly effects, thus denying themselves the full potentiality of their craft. The most pleasing results occur when artist and printmaker have been one and the same person. The Italian works in the exhibition are deserving of the greatest praise. Prints by Canaletto, Piranesi, and Tiepolo combine consummate technical skill with free spirited temperament. These are evocative works in which convention is set aside, and the spirit of the artist allowed to emerge. Represen- ted by six works in the show, Piranesi demonstrates most effectively the range of possibilities in the medium of etching. His Venduta di Roma are fairly accurate illustrations of well known Roman sites. However, details such as creeping vines embracing an- cient ruins impart to these documen- tary glimpses an element of romantic nostalgia. Imaginary Prison, also by Piranesi, is an etching of a markedly different character than the Venduta. This disturbingly impassioned fantasy permits Piraniesi greater freedom in composition and linear treatment. It is a breathtaking work, unrivaled by the other pieces in the exhibition. ANOTHER ARTIST, with an imagination equal to Piranesi's, yet ob.- jectives of a very different sort, is the British satirist William H-ogarth - here represented by four prints combining both engraving and etching. The four, showing various times of day in Lon- don, poke fun at the manners and morals of his day. The delight which Hogarth obviously took in composing the grotesque details is quite evident in these caricatural works. Hogarth not only exposes the degradation and filth of the city of Lon- don, but he also satirizes the affected ways of the continental citizenry. In one print, for instance, a French couple are identifiable as "foreign" through the excessiveness of their costume and gestures. '' Imaginary Prison", an etching from 1eries "Carceri D'Invenzione" from about 1744. It's part of the University Art Museum's 18th-ce'ntury Prints and Drawing Exhibition. The show lasts until March 9, so students stranded in Ann Arbor for spring break still have a chance to check this very worthwhile exhibit out. 6' IT H AS often been said that the 18th- century produced in France an un- paralleled period of splendor and sophistication. The "Age of Enlighten- ment," it is claimged, was characterized by philosophic insight and heightened cultural refinement. What are we to make then of the coy boudoir scenes (such as Delauney's The Indiscreet Wife) and the overly ornamented Rococo style? Fortunately, few works focusing upon the so-called "elegance" of the French have been included in the exhibit. These prove to be interesting solely from an historic, rather than an aesthetic standpoint. The French should not be entirely ex- cluded from the ranks of the praisewor- thy. A chalk drawing of a sleeping child 9 A Doi an( I-si sw4 a, ' TICKETS are 9.00 and 10.00 and are now on sale at the Michigan Union Box Office (11:30-5:30), Where House Records, Aura Sounde, Huckleberry Party Store, and all Hudson's. For more informnation cal 763-2071. Sorry, no checks. A MAJOR EVENTS PRESENT ATION is a sensitive, tender portrait. Drawn by Francois Boucher, it departs from the high-class eroticism with which he is normally associated. Other drawings by Saint-Aubin and Nicolas Lancret are modest works instilled with quiet honesty arnd strong characterizations. A GROUP of landscapes by British artists rounds out the major genres seen in the show. Whether sketched or printed, these works reveal artists such as Sandby, Gainsborough, and Romney forsaking the restraints of their portrait commissions. Of comparatively minor significance, yet quite fascinating, are several ink and wash designs for grandiose stage sets. These drawings, done by Italians working for the Viennese court~ illustrate the magnitude of theatrical spectacle at this time. Next to the theater designs is a small water color attributed to Giacomo Quarenghi, which shows a ground plan and elevation of a small temple. The depic- tion of the rigorously geometric facade demonstrates a concern for 18th- century neo-Classical principles. The fact that this plIanI can be admired solely . for its aesthetic merits is an indications of the level of draftsmanship achieved during this period. THIS EXHIBITION of prints and drawings fulfills the University museum's role as a "teaching museum." Planned in conjunction with the 18th Century Semester sponsored by the L.S.&A., it is complemented by exhibitions at the Clements Library and at the Rare Book Room of the Graduate. Library. The 18th century was comf@ posed of colliding cultural, social and cultural currents. Excessive pleasure vied with stringent morality, as aristocratic elegance ,was met with social outcries. Romanticism, neo- Classicism and rococo styles each exer-J ted an influence on the arts scene. Thisj diverse atmosphere permitted the co-j existence of a Chereau, Hogarth or- Piranesi, each appealing to a particular audience, or at times serving their own interests. The museum show fully represents this cross section of 18th century life and art, highlighting the period's unity and variety. Those who immerse them- selves in the artworks will be well rewarded. r spring break?. n 't forget to stop in for the )plies youll need to stuy d get ahead of the game. hirts . . .. travel bags . .. . eatsuits .. .. doodle pads .beer rmugs .. # gonahe latoye'?