Japan's First Large-Scale Exhibition on "Paintings within Paintings" Opens at National Museum of Western Art in Autumn 2027. Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna in Full Cooperation
Japan's first large-scale "paintings within paintings" exhibition opens at the National Museum of Western Art in autumn 2027.Summary
The National Museum of Western Art in Ueno, Tokyo, will host the exhibition "Paintings within Paintings — Adventures of Paintings around Paintings: From the Renaissance to the Present and Beyond" from September 18, 2027, to January 16, 2028. The exhibition focuses on "paintings within paintings"—the depiction of other paintings embedded within a painting—particularly exploring how in European painting, this device served as more than mere surface decoration, expanding the meaning of works and blurring the boundaries between fiction and reality. Through works spanning from the Renaissance to the present day, the exhibition traces the evolution of "painting" and "seeing" in Western art. According to the organizers, exhibitions centered on paintings within paintings are rare worldwide, making this the first of such scale in Japan. The Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, which holds the Habsburg collection, will serve as co-organizer. In addition to its holdings, works are expected from museums worldwide including the Musée d'Orsay and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Specific exhibited works and detailed composition have not yet been announced. The exhibition will be held solely at the National Museum of Western Art with no touring plans.
(Source：美術手帖)