Valentine's at the Clark

Join Anne Leonard, Manton Curator of Prints, Drawings and Photographs at The Clark, on February 14th for a special introduction to the exhibit, Shadow Visionaries, followed by a three-course meal inspired by 19th-century France.

To anchor the exhibition, Constellation Culinary Chef Chris Gouty will bring his creative spin to classical French cooking and the themes of memory, fantasy and longing.

With subtle nods to Valentine’s Day, the dinner and the show combine art history, food and fun. Tickets are $115 ($95 members) and include three courses and paired wine. A cash bar will also be available. Call 413-458-0434 with any dietary restrictions.

The Clark Center galleries will be open for viewing from 5:30 to 6:30PM with docents stationed throughout. Dinner begins at 6:30PM.

Shadow Visionaries focuses on French artists who worked between 1840 and 1870 who felt at odds with their era’s celebration of material advancement and modernization. Rejecting the prevailing current, they chose dark subject matter oriented toward the irrational, spiritual and fantastical, using black-and-white media to convey intense emotions, while at the same time producing works of unsparing directness and rare beauty.

Although some of the Shadow Visionaries evoked nostalgia, others dreamed boldly of an alternate future, anticipating later art movements such as Symbolism and Surrealism.

The Clark is located at 25 South Street Williamstown MA; 413-458-2303. Shadow Visionaries: French Artists Against the Current, 1840-70 is on view in the exhibition galleries in the Clark Center's lower level.