Davenport, IOWA (November 2012) – The newest exhibition at the Figge Art Museum opens this Saturday, November 17 and runs through February 17, 2013. Picturing Identity: The Allure of Portraiture features 20th century examples of portraits that address changes in the perceived nature of personal identity and its representation.

Curated by Dr. Rima Girnius of the Figge, portraits feature celebrities and historical figures whose public roles question the traditional function of portraiture and how we often remember people not as they were but as they appeared to be through images.

Much of the power ascribed to portraiture has depended on the artist’s ability to vividly capture the nuances and peculiarities of a person’s physical appearance and character. Portraits were deemed successful when the image resembled the original to such a degree that the person represented appeared to be momentarily present before the viewer’s eyes.

Culled from the Figge’s collection as well as significant loans from private collections and the University of Iowa Museum of Art, the portraits in this exhibition serve as a reminder of portraiture’s continuing importance as an artistic genre.

The Figge is offering FREE admission on Saturday, so don’t miss your opportunity to see this exhibition on its opening day. Also be sure to keep in mind the upcoming companion events (see below) being offered in conjunction with Picturing Identity: The Allure of Portraiture.

About the Figge Art Museum

The Figge Art Museum is located on the riverfront in downtown Davenport at 225 West Second Street. Hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday and Sundays 12-5 p.m.  Thursdays the museum is open until 9pm. Admission to the museum and tour is $7. Admission is free to Figge members and institutional members. To contact the museum, please call 563.326.7804, or visit our website, www.figgeartmuseum.org.

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Companion Events

Evening Art History Talk “History of Portraiture”
7 p.m. Thursday, November 29, 2012
Free with membership or museum admission
Presenter Alycia Reed, PhD candidate, will discuss “The Good, the Bad and the Mundane: Western Portraiture in the Late Twentieth-Century”. This lecture is offered in conjunction with the Figge’s exhibitions Portrait of Maquoketa - The Dimensional View and Picturing Identity: The Allure of Portraiture.

On the Face of It – Portraits Family Day
11 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, January 12, 2013
Free with membership or museum admission
Bring your face to the Figge for some quality family time at our Portraits Family Day! Studio art activities, story time, refreshments and much more are sure to make this day a picture-perfect memory! This free family day is planned in conjunction with these special exhibitions: Portrait of Maquoketa – The Dimensional View and Picturing Identity: The Allure of Portraiture.
Sponsored by John Deere

Picturing Identity: The Allure of Portraiture Curator Lecture
7 p.m. Thursday February 7, 2013

Free with membership or museum admission

Join exhibition curator Rima Girnius, PhD, as she discusses the history of portraiture, and its continuing importance as an artistic genre.

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