Two new exhibitions to see at the National Gallery this summer

This summer, the National Gallery of Canada (NGC) presents, concurrently with its major exhibition Alex Colville, two exhibitions featuring works from the national collection: ** Chagall: Daphnis & Chloé ** and ** Luminous and True: The Photographs of Frederick H. Evans ** . Organized by the NGC, the two shows will run until September 13, 2015, in the Prints, Drawings and Photographs Galleries.

Marc Chagall (1887–1985) ranks among the most admired artists of the modern period. Throughout his long, prolific career, which spanned most of the 20th century, his work revolved around the central theme of love. The exhibition Chagall: Daphnis & Chloé presents-for the very first time in Ottawa-the entire series of 42 lithographs illustrating the idyll of the young goatherd Daphnis and shepherdess Chloé, who live near Mytilene on the island of Lesbos. Their romance leads them on many adventures filled with intrigue and deceit.

This set of lithographs illustrating the famous classical fable by second-century Greek poet Longus is one of Chagall’s most important graphic works. Seldom shown, because of its great fragility, it enchants with its fanciful, richly coloured imagery. It highlights Chagall’s unique style, which sets him apart from the main twentieth-century art movements followed by some of his contemporaries, such as Matisse and Picasso.

The Gallery also invites the public to visit the exhibition Luminous and True: The Photographs of Frederick H. Evans. Nature lovers and architecture enthusiasts will discover the favourite themes of this British artist (1853–1943), illustrated through superb photographs of cathedrals, forests and landscapes. The show brings together, in intimate gallery spaces, some 70 works, including an album that visitors can explore using a touch screen.

Evan’s delicate yet striking platinum and photogravure prints represent a synthesis of two streams of philosophical inquiry dear to the Victorians: the enigma of natural laws, their relevance and their manifestations in the physical world, and the connections between the sciences and the arts. Through photography, Evans sought spiritual harmony between objective knowledge and subjective experience. ** Meet the experts ** Meet the curators of each of these exhibitions for an approximately one-hour tour, followed by a ten-minute Q&A in English (in the Prints, Drawings and Photographs Galleries, mezzanine level):

· Friday, June 5 and Friday, July 3 at 12:00 PM, discover Chagall: Daphnis & Chloé with Sonia Del Re, the exhibition’s curator.

· Friday, May 29 and Friday, July 10 at 12:00 PM, Ann Thomas, curator of Luminous and True: The Photographs of Frederick H. Evans, will guide you through the artist’s works. ** NGC Magazine ** NGCmagazine.ca, the National Gallery’s online magazine, is a frequently updated source of information on the Canadian art world and events at the National Gallery of Canada. Correspondents from across the country provide engaging and exclusive content on historical and contemporary art in Canada. This online magazine also includes interviews with artists. ** Connect with the Gallery ** Follow the Gallery’s latest news on its social media networks: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. And join the conversations with #ChagallNGC and #EvansNGC/#EvansMBAC ** Admission ** General admission price includes all exhibitions (excluding Colville) and the collection. Tickets: $12 (adults); $10 (seniors and full-time students); $6 (youth: 12-19); $24 (families: two adults and three youth). Admission is free for children under the age of 12 and for Members. ** Hours ** The NGC is open every days from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Thursdays until 8 p.m. For more information call 613-990-1985 or 1-800-319-ARTS. ** About the National Gallery of Canada ** The National Gallery of Canada is home to the most important collections of historical and contemporary Canadian art. The Gallery also maintains Canada’s premier collection of European Art from the 14th to the 21st century, as well as important works of American, Asian and Indigenous Art and renowned international collections of prints, drawings and photographs. Created in 1880, the National Gallery of Canada has played a key role in Canadian culture for well over a century. Among its principal missions is to increase access to excellent works of art for all Canadians. For more information, visit gallery.ca