Philip Guston's Roman Residency Paintings at Phillips Collection in 2011
Between February 12 and May 15, 2011, 'Philip Guston: Roma' was on display at the Phillips Collection in Washington, DC, featuring pieces from Guston's residency at the American Academy in Rome during 1970-71. This exhibition showcased Guston's unique visual language that fused American and Italian elements, incorporating motifs such as eyes, hands, and light bulbs, all within a predominantly pinkish coral red color scheme. Curator Peter Miller Benson's catalog essay explored links to Italian artists like Giorgio de Chirico and Piero della Francesca, although some parallels, particularly between Guston's palette and that of Giorgio Morandi, were considered weak. The exhibit focused on Guston's ambiguous works influenced by Roman antiquity but received criticism for overly literal interpretations of Italian art.
Key facts
- Exhibition dates: February 12 to May 15, 2011
- Location: Phillips Collection, 1600 21st Street, NW, Washington, DC 20009
- Focus: Paintings from Philip Guston's 1970-71 residency at the American Academy in Rome
- Key imagery: Detached eyes, hands, shoes, paintbrushes, light bulbs, and Klansman-like hoods
- Palette: Monochromatic with pinkish coral reds
- Influences: Italian artists including Piero della Francesca, Giorgio de Chirico, G.B. Tiepolo, and Gaudenzio Ferrari
- Curator: Peter Miller Benson wrote catalog essay tracing Italian influences
- Estate representative: David McKee noted Guston's lack of documented interest in Giorgio Morandi
Entities
Artists
- Philip Guston
- Piero della Francesca
- Giorgio de Chirico
- G.B. Tiepolo
- Gaudenzio Ferrari
- Giorgio Morandi
Institutions
- Phillips Collection
- American Academy in Rome
- Scialoja collection
- Capitoline Museum
Locations
- Washington, DC
- United States
- Rome
- Italy
- Arezzo
- Bologna