April 2, 2012 — University of Virginia Art Museum guest curator Stephen Margulies will give a Lunchtime Talk on the exhibition, "Love: Japanese Color Woodblock Prints," on April 17 from noon to 1 p.m.

The two-part exhibition draws on the museum's collection of 19th-century Japanese prints. The first installation, "Love," will be on view through April 22. The second installation of the exhibition, "Legend," will be on view from April 24 through Aug. 5.

The Japanese phrase for prints made for the common people is "ukiyo-e," pictures of the floating world. Such prints differed from aristocratic art in that they depicted ordinary life and legends, as well as the world of kabuki theater and high-class courtesans to be found in the entertainment district of Edo, the old name for modern-day Tokyo. Many prints, though great art, were advertisements for the district.

Margulies will discuss the influence of Japanese prints on modern Western art, as well as the context in which they were created and the techniques involved.

An alumnus of both Johns Hopkins University and U.Va., Margulies is a published poet, essayist and scholar, and was a curator of works on paper at the museum for more than 20 years.

The museum's Lunchtime Talks are usually held from noon to 1 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month. These tours offer the opportunity to join curators and faculty as they explore topics related to museum collections and exhibitions.

Lunchtime Talks are free and open to the public. For information, call 434-243-2050 or email museumoutreach@virginia.edu.

The museum is open free to the public Tuesdays through Sundays, from noon to 5 p.m., and is located at 155 Rugby Road, one block from the Rotunda.