Updated: July 10, 2006

NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART OFFERS A
CTIVITIES RELATED TO
“HENRI ROUSSEAU: JUNGLES IN PARIS”
July 16–October 15, 2006

Washington, DC – A diverse program of lectures, films, and family activities will be offered by the National Gallery of Art in conjunction with Henri Rousseau: Jungles in Paris (July 16–October 15, 2006), the first major American retrospective of the artist’s work in over 20 years.

All programs are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted. For more information, call (202) 737-4215, visit the Web site at www.nga.gov, or inquire at the Gallery’s Art Information Desks at all entrances.

LECTURE PROGRAM

An Exotic French Master?
Henri Rousseau in the Writings of Guillaume Apollinaire
September 24, 2:00 pm
East Building Auditorium
Nancy Ireson, National Gallery, London

The Fine Art of Making Art Films
July 20, 22, 12:00 pm
West Building Lecture Hall
Carroll Moore, the Department of Exhibition Programs filmmaker, discusses the process of making documentaries for the Gallery’s exhibitions. The lecture features examples from his films, including Henri Rousseau: Jungles in Paris.

GALLERY TALKS

All Gallery talks will begin at the East Building Art Information Desk.

Henri Rousseau: Jungles in Paris
Philip Leonard and Sally Shelburne (60 mins.)
July 19, 21, 22, 26, and 28 at noon
August 3, 22, 24, 26, and 30 at 1:00 pm

Philip Leonard and Diane Arkin (60 mins.)
September 9, 10, and 11 at noon
September 12 and 14 at 11:00 am
October 3 and 5 at 1:00 pm

FAMILY DAYS

Jungles in Paris
East Building entrance
Ages 4 and up; no registration required
July 28 and 29 at 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
August 11 and 12 at 10:00 am to 5:00 pm

Enter the dream world of self-taught French painter Henri Rousseau and take an imaginary journey through jungles, forests, and gardens. Search for tigers, monkeys, snakes, and flamingos. Explore exotic plants, stroll the streets of Paris, and learn about this fascinating artist. Activities will include films for all ages, family activity sheets to tour the exhibition, and hands-on art-making.

The Family Days are made possible by the generous support of Melvin Henderson-Rubio.

AUDIO PROGRAM

Available on Acoustiguide’s new exSite Premium™ handset at the audio tour desk located on the East Building Mezzanine

Narrated by Gallery director Earl A. Powell III, this tour includes commentary by Francis Morris, curator and head of displays, Tate Modern, London; Christopher Green, professor of art history, Courtauld Institute of Art, London; and Richard D. Estes, research associate of the Conservation and Research Center of the National Zoo, Washington. $5 rental

WEB SITE

The National Gallery of Art’s Web feature on the exhibition at www.nga.gov/exhibitions/rousseauinfo.htm will be live on July 14.

FILMS

Henri Rousseau: Jungles in Paris
East Building Large Auditorium, 30 mins.
July 16, 18, 21, 23, 25, and 30 at 11:30 am
August 1, 4, 8, 13, 15, 18, 20, 22, 27, and 29 at 11:30 am
September 1, 3, 5, 8, 10, 12, 15, 19, 22, 24, 26, and 29
at 11:30 am
October 1, 3, 6, 10, 13, and 15 at 11:30 am

East Building Small Auditorium
July 16 through October 15, daily, 12:00 pm-3:00 pm, with minor exceptions.

Narrated by award-winning actor Kevin Kline, Henri Rousseau: Jungles in Paris examines the career and development of the self-taught French painter and the French obsession with the exotic in the later 19th century during the nation’s colonial expansion. It draws on rare archival photographs, ephemera, and film from the period. This film features present-day footage of Rousseau’s Parisian “jungles”—the parks, gardens, and greenhouses that fueled his imagination—and interviews with the curators and catalogue authors. The film, produced for the exhibition by the National Gallery of Art, is made possible by the HRH Foundation.

Au bonheur des dames
East Building Auditorium, 85 mins.
September 30 at 3:00 pm
Live orchestral accompaniment by Octuor de France with Gabriel Thibaudeau

A celebration of its turn-of-the-century Parisian locations, Julien Duvivier’s Au bonheur de dames (1929) was based on Emile Zola’s tale of a provincial girl (Dita Parlo) who arrives in Paris for a job in her uncle’s conservative clothing shop, only to work instead for the fashionable department store across the street (a set designed by Christian Jacque after Le Bon Marché). In spite of the film’s exhilarating intrigue, the tone is wistful, perhaps echoing the director’s unease over the forward march of modernity. The ensemble Octuor de France, under the direction of Canadian composer Gabriel Thibaudeau, performs the film’s new score.

CONCERTS

Octuor de France
West Building, West Garden Court
October 1, 6:30 pm
French music of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

GALLERY SHOPS

During the exhibition, visitors to the East Building Shop (located on the concourse level) will be able to choose from a broad selection of books and large reproductions as well as related merchandise such as a music CD, a 2007 wall calendar, stationery, jewelry and other accessories, and merchandise specific for children and the young at heart. A 35-minute DVD, Henri Rousseau: Jungles in Paris will also be available for $19.95. To order the DVD, call 1-(800)-697-9350 or (202) 842-6002; fax (202) 789-3047; or e-mail mailorder@nga.gov.

TERRACE CAFÉ

East Building, Terrace Level
Saturdays and Sundays, 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm

Overlooking the entrance to the exhibition, the Terrace Café will offer a relaxing coffeehouse atmosphere with a selection of salads, sandwiches, drinks, and desserts as well as menu items for children.

EXHIBITION CATALOGUE

Published by Tate Publishing, Henri Rousseau: Jungles in Paris provides a comprehensive overview of his career as well as insight into the sources that inspired his work. Including previously unpublished reproductions of his sources alongside his paintings, is available for $50 in hardcover and $35 in softcover. To order call 1-(800)-697-9350 or (202) 842-6002; fax (202) 789-3047; or e-mail mailorder@nga.gov (232 pp., 130 color, and 34 black-and-white).

EXHIBITION ORGANIZATION AND SUPPORT

The exhibition was organized by Tate Modern, London, and Réunion des musées nationaux and Musée d’Orsay, Paris, in association with the National Gallery of Art, Washington.

Major support for this exhibition was provided by the George Andreas Foundation.

The exhibition is sponsored in part by the National Automobile Dealers Association.

The exhibition is supported by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities.

General Information

The National Gallery of Art and its Sculpture Garden are at all times free to the public. They are located on the National Mall between 3rd and 9th Streets at Constitution Avenue NW, and are open Monday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The Gallery is closed on December 25 and January 1. For information call (202) 737-4215 or the Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD) at (202) 842-6176, or visit the Gallery's Web site at www.nga.gov.

Visitors will be asked to present all carried items for inspection upon entering the East and West Buildings. Checkrooms are free of charge and located at each entrance. Luggage and other oversized bags must be presented at the 4th Street entrances to the East or West Building to permit x-ray screening and must be deposited in the checkrooms at those entrances. For the safety of visitors and the works of art, nothing may be carried into the Gallery on a visitor's back. Any bag or other items that cannot be carried reasonably and safely in some other manner must be left in the checkrooms. Items larger than 17 x 26 inches cannot be accepted by the Gallery or its checkrooms.

For additional press information please call or send inquiries to:

Press Office
National Gallery of Art
2000B South Club Drive
Landover, MD 20785
phone: (202) 842-6353 e-mail: pressinfo@nga.gov

Deborah Ziska
Chief of Press and Public Information
(202) 842-6353
ds-ziska@nga.gov

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NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART OFFERS A CTIVITIES RELATED TO “HENRI ROUSSEAU: JUNGLES IN PARIS” July 16–October 15, 2006

NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART OFFERS A
CTIVITIES RELATED TO
“HENRI ROUSSEAU: JUNGLES IN PARIS”
July 16–October 15, 2006