Ut Pictura Poesis
Walt Whitman and the Poetry of Art
The year 2019 marks the bicentennial of Walt Whitman’s birth, an event of special relevance to the Rollins College campus. The Rollins College Archives possesses an extensive collection of original materials and one of the most expansive by and about Whitman in the country, including a first edition of Leaves of Grass, as well as personal papers and correspondence.
This exhibition examines the impact of Whitman’s work on American life and culture, past and present, by drawing connections between his ideas, motifs, symbolism, and persona, and contemporary artistic responses. The combination of archival materials and works of art encourages viewers to reflect on the symbiotic relationship between literature, cultural criticism and visual art. While previous exhibitions have addressed Whitman’s influence on the artists of his time, Ut Pictura Poesis: Walt Whitman and the Poetry of Art is unique in that it explores the impact of the poet’s work on a select group of contemporary artists. Bridging past and present, the objects on display speak to Whitman’s humanist approach and social sensibilities as well as to the artists’ engagement with his thought and legacy. Works by Leonard Baskin, David Hockney, and Sara VanDerBeek are displayed alongside Whitman’s manuscripts, photographs, and illustrated first editions of his seminal texts.
This exhibition is curated by CFAM in collaboration with the Rollins College Archives and Special Collections at Olin Library and the English Department, and is accompanied by an illustrated catalogue available in the museum store.
