Night in the museum

It’s sad to think of our Gallery closed, our paintings unseen by visitors. But the photographic series Las meninas reborn in the night I-VIII by Yasumasa Morimura helps take the edge off the melancholy. Working after hours in the Prado Museum with Diego Velázquez’s masterpiece Las meninas 1656, Morimura suggests that art is never more alive than when the museum closes its doors.

AGNSW collection Morimura Yasumasa Las meninas reborn in the night I: kneeling before Velázquez's casket 2013, printed 2016

https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/collection/works/231.2016.1/

AGNSW collection Morimura Yasumasa Las meninas reborn in the night II: finding a tiny waver within silence 2013, printed 2016

https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/collection/works/231.2016.2/

AGNSW collection Morimura Yasumasa Las meninas reborn in the night III: opening the door in the depth of the painting 2013, printed 2016

https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/collection/works/231.2016.3/

AGNSW collection Morimura Yasumasa Las meninas reborn in the night IV: peering at the secret scene behind the artist 2013, printed 2016

https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/collection/works/231.2016.4/

AGNSW collection Morimura Yasumasa Las meninas reborn in the night V: drawn by a distant light, awaken to the darkness 2013, printed 2016

https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/collection/works/231.2016.5/

AGNSW collection Morimura Yasumasa Las meninas reborn in the night VI: kingdom's painting, painting's kingdom 2013, printed 2016

https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/collection/works/231.2016.6/

AGNSW collection Morimura Yasumasa Las meninas reborn in the night VII: in fact, nothing really happened 2013, printed 2016

https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/collection/works/231.2016.7/

AGNSW collection Morimura Yasumasa Las meninas reborn in the night VIII: and then there were none 2013, printed 2016

https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/collection/works/231.2016.8/