Sept 5, 2002--When Middleton Manigault inadvertently starved himself to death at the age of 35 in an attempt to “see colors not perceptible to the physical eye,” he ended a short but distinguished career as a pioneering modern artist. The University Gallery of the University of Delaware, “Middleton Manigault, Visionary Modernist,” is presenting the first major exhibition to present the eclectic, highly personal creations of this previously neglected master.

"The Rocket," 1909, oil on canvas, Columbus Musuem of Art

The exhibition features approximately 50 rarely exhibited works, including oil paintings, watercolors, pastels, etchings, wood sculpture and ceramics. The exhibition showcases four important oil paintings from the Columbus Museum of Art’s collection, as well as a number of loans from public and private collections across the United States and Canada.

The exhibition will be on view at the University Gallery through Nov. 10.

Manigault’s contributions to the history of Modernism have been largely overlooked because of his early death, his reclusive lifestyle and the undocumented dispersal of much of his work. Furthermore, the artist, suffering from depression and fits of hysteria, destroyed a large number of his paintings shortly before his death in 1922.

Manigault’s career was characterized by incessant experimentation, and his works are remarkable for their decorative sense and imaginative spirit. Unlike many artists of the period, whose reputations rested on a signature style, Manigault found inspiration in an exciting range of artistic tendencies that flourished during Modernism’s formative years. His work exemplifies the experimental nature at the heart of modern art.

Beth Venn, noted Manigault scholar and former curator of New York’s Whitney Museum of American Art who holds a master’s degree in art history from the University of Delaware, served as guest curator of the exhibition, which was organized by the Columbus Museum of Art in cooperation with Hollis Taggart Galleries of New York.

Venn will give a public lecture on Manigault’s work at 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 9, in Room 202 of Old College.

The 130-page catalog is the first major publication devoted to Manigault’s life and work. In addition to Venn’s essays, the catalog also includes essays by Nannette V. Maciejunes, senior curator of the Columbus Museum of Art, and Angela Mack, curator of collections of the Gibbes Museum of Art in Charleston, S.C.

After the University of Delaware, the exhibition will travel to its last venue at the Gibbes, concluding there in January 2003.

The University Gallery is located on the second floor of historic Old College, on the corner of Main Street and North College Avenue in downtown Newark. The museum presents exhibitions and educational programs of regional and national importance and is a repository for art objects and cultural artifacts spanning the ancient period through the present.

The University Gallery also provides professional development opportunities for students interested in careers in the museum field.

Hours are 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays; 11 a.m.-8 p.m., Wednesdays; and 1-4p.m., Saturdays and Sundays.

The museum is closed on Mondays, during exhibition production and on University holidays.

The museum facility is barrier-free and those individuals requesting other disability accommodations are encouraged to call at least 10 days prior to a visit. All museum events are free to the public unless otherwise noted.

For more information, call (302) 831-8242, fax (302) 831-8251 or TDD (302) 831-4563. Visit the University Gallery online at [http://www.museums.udel.edu].