Into the Limelight: The Art of Joseph A. Pecsenke
May 27 through September 4, 2023

Into the Limelight highlights over forty prints from RPM’s permanent collection featuring scenes from the theater by Joseph A. Pecsenke (1942 – 1989). Pecsenke was a Hungarian American actor, director, musician, graphic designer, and printmaker.

After graduating from the Budapest Academy of Fine Arts, Pecsenke worked as an illustrator in Hungary before moving to New York in 1971. Eventually he moved to Sweden, where he stayed for the rest of his life.

Pecsenke was profoundly involved in the theater world. In addition to his work as an actor and set designer, Pecsenke directed opera performances all over the world. It was his work in the theater that inspired his series Commedia dell’Arte and Opera Suite, both of which are included in this exhibition.

The Commedia dell’Arte, or “comedy of professional artists,” is a form of theater performance that emerged in Italy in the 15th century and was popular across Europe through the 18th century. The Commedia contains set plotlines and recognizable stock characters, and performing the Commedia is regarded as an intricate art form. His Opera Suite, comprised of a series of lithographs illustrating a variety of operas, includes scenes from Otello, Madame Butterfly, Faust, and La Boheme. Pecsenke’s colorful renderings portray actors mid-scene, often clad in ornate costumes and masks, in front of elaborate stage sets, capturing a moment of a dramatic performance.

Pecsenke’s artwork has been exhibited all over the world, and is currently in the collections of the Metropolitan Opera, the Joffrey Ballet, the Folger Shakespeare Library, the New York Philharmonic, and Yale University. Into the Limelight will be on display in The Museum’s Works on Paper Gallery from May 27 to September 4, 2023.