Pairs and Partners: Chiaroscuro

Pairs and Partners is all about points of view—specifically the points of view of museum curators. In this series of exhibitions drawn from the permanent collection of the MMFA, curators and other “guests” demonstrate the variety of ways in which works of art might be interpreted, based upon an individual’s education, experience, and judgment.  In each installation, the curators select two works of art from the museum’s collection that address the show’s specific theme.  They will then compare and contrast the works they have chosen, specifically explaining how they feel their chosen works address that theme. 

The first exhibition in the Pairs and Partners series will explore the use of chiaroscuro, that is, the strong contrast of light and dark in a composition. Interpreters note how the use of such strong contrast impacts the design of an artist’s composition, or, in some cases, the psychological implications of the contrast as it is presented to the viewer, along with other manifestations that may be unique to the individual object.