Sin
Sin
An exhibition organised by the National Gallery, London with York Museums Trust
Special Exhibition
7 October 2022 – 22 January 2023
£8 adult, Concessions available
Book here
Sin has permeated life since the earliest days, but the story of its relation to art has not been told before. Defined universally as a regrettable fault, offence or omission, sin is something that everyone can relate to. Bringing together works of art that span centuries, the exhibition explores changing ideas about sin and morality. Sin invites visitors to reflect on their own ideas about sin and society today, including attitudes to crime, alcohol, the body, the environment and more.
The exhibition includes eight exceptional paintings from the National Gallery’s collection, including ‘Venus and Cupid’ by Lucas Cranach the Elder and ‘The Woman Taken in Adultery’ by Rembrandt, as well as works on loan by Tracey Emin (‘It was just a kiss’) and Ron Mueck (‘Youth’). Alongside them, a selection of works from York Museums Trust enables visitors to discover connections to York Art Gallery’s own collections. These works range from a medieval stone-carving of demons devouring the soul of a sinner to Sarah Lucas’s sculpture ‘NUD 4’. A new work specially created for the exhibition by Yorkshire-born artist Zara Worth (‘Think of a door (temptation/redemption)’) will also be on display.
Inspired by the theme of sin, the work of York Art Gallery’s annual Teenage Art School, which was produced in partnership with Mediale, has been captured in a multi-channel film installation for the exhibition. Sitting alongside the loans in the exhibition, this work captures the teenagers’ commitment to the concepts explored and shows how art can help us make sense of the world.
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