The Ephemeral Museum

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When and why did large-scale exhibitions of Old Master paintings begin, and how have they evolved? An eminent art historian examines the intriguing history and significance of these international art exhibitions. The exploration starts with the first “Old Master” exhibitions in Rome and Florence during the seventeenth century, progressing to eighteenth-century France, where efforts were made to create exhibitions of contemporary art as alternatives to the official Salon. The role of the British Institution in London is highlighted, along with a series of remarkable loan exhibitions of Old Master paintings. The narrative traces the rise of nationalist exhibitions, such as the 1898 Rembrandt exhibition in Amsterdam, recognized as the first modern “blockbuster” exhibit. After World War I, the international loan exhibition emerged as a tool for foreign and cultural policy, exemplified by the Italian Art exhibition at Burlington House in 1930, which controversially showcased Botticelli's works. The author discusses the initial hesitance of major museums to send artworks on potentially damaging journeys, which eventually shifted to cautious enthusiasm. The book concludes with a polemical chapter examining the publications associated with these exhibitions and the criticism and scholarship that have arisen from them.