Back and Forth: Rozeal., Titian, Cezanne

Back and Forth: Rozeal., Titian, Cezanne examines how artists across six centuries and different cultural contexts respond to earlier art while reshaping its conventions. The exhibition places four paintings in dialogue, revealing unexpected visual relationships between Rozeal.’s contemporary work and paintings by Titian and Paul Cezanne.

The exhibition explores the non-linear nature of art history: artists borrow, reinterpret, and remix ideas across time, sometimes creating connections that were not intended by the original artists. Among the pairings are Rozeal.’s 2011 painting *afro.died, T.* and Titian’s *Venus with a Mirror*, as well as Cezanne’s *Boy in a Red Waistcoat* and Titian’s *Ranuccio Farnese*. An accompanying interactive article examines how the artists reinterpret conventions for painting people.

When: April 26, 2025–January 3, 2027

Venue: National Gallery of Art, West Building, Main Floor, Gallery M11

Tickets: Free admission; passes are not required.

Artworks: Titian’s *Venus with a Mirror* (c. 1555), Rozeal.’s *afro.died, T.* (2011), Paul Cezanne’s *Boy in a Red Waistcoat* (1888–1890), and Titian’s *Ranuccio Farnese* (1541–1542).

Artists: Titian, Rozeal. (formerly known as iona rozeal brown), and Paul Cezanne.

Interactive Feature: “Four Paintings Speak to Each Other Across Space and Time” explores how Titian, Cezanne, and Rozeal. remix and reinterpret established approaches to depicting people.

Curators: Molly Donovan, curator of contemporary art and acting head of modern and contemporary art; Eve Straussman-Pflanzer, curator and head of Italian and Spanish paintings; and Aaron Wile, former associate curator in the department of French paintings, all associated with the National Gallery of Art.

Related Tours: Exhibition tours are scheduled for October 16, 22, 23, and 29, 2026, each from 2:00 to 2:45 p.m.

Accessibility: No event-specific accessibility information is provided.