Vernissage
Look up vernissage in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
A vernissage (from
opening.[1] If the vernissage is not open to the public, but only to invited guests, it is often called a private view
.
History
At official exhibitions in the nineteenth century, such as the
Royal Academy summer exhibition, artists would give a finishing touch to their works by varnishing them. The custom of patrons and the élite of visiting the academies during the varnishing day prior to the formal opening of the exhibition gave rise to the tradition of celebrating the completion of an art work or a series of art works with friends and sponsors. In the twentieth century it became an opportunity to market the works on view to buyers and critics
.
Related terms
There is a comparable ceremonial ending of art exhibitions, called a finissage,terms are rare in English; they are more commonly used in German and Dutch but not in French.[citation needed]
See also
References
- ^ "Vernissage". Dictionary. Merriam-Webster. 2010. Retrieved 18 January 2013.
- ^ "Invitation: Finissage in Venice". Retrieved 11 April 2013.
External links
- Vernissage: The Magazine of the National Gallery of Canada
- Vernissage — Die Zeitschrift zur Ausstellung
- Finissage