To herald their new partnership, Guy Regal and Lewis Baer of Newel will mount an exhibition entitled “Neoclassicism: Discoveries from the 18th through 20th Centuries,” to open at the Guy Regal Ltd /Newel gallery from October 14 through November 13, 2009, at 223 East 60th Street in New York.
“Our first exhibition will be devoted to Neoclassicism in all its glorious forms,” said Guy Regal. “The word discoveries is significant because, until now, many of the rare gems that will be shown have not been seen before.”
“Finding the hidden treasures in my inventory and combining them with Guy’s to create a powerful presentation in any given period of decorative arts is exactly what we had in mind when we decided to join forces,” said Lewis Baer.
“Neoclassicism has always been a strong focus of my gallery,” said Regal. “When I started exploring Newel’s inventory, I discovered a number of fantastic pieces.”
“With its emphasis on proportion, grace and classical details, one can see the start of Neoclassicism’s influence on early 18th century design,” Regal explained. “Of course, the excitement about the classics became a central theme of design when the ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum were excavated in the mid-eighteenth century. New information about the ancient world sparked a revolution in architecture and interior design. In various forms, Georgian style in Britain and the Napoleonic Empire Style in France, dominated Western design for a hundred years. The great designers of art deco looked to the classics for part of their inspiration. Today, the modern, clean and balanced look of interiors reflects the continued influence of the neoclassical style.”