EXHIBITIONS
Named in honor of the great New York art collector, philanthropist, and Lyme Academy patron, the Chauncey Stillman Gallery opened its doors at the Lyme Academy of Fine Arts in 2003. Its regular and rotating exhibition schedule features both historic works and the best of contemporary figurative art, continuing the tradition of public art displays in and around the Old Lyme campus.
UPCOMING EXHIBITION
The Lyme Academy of Fine Arts is proud to present The New Bronze Age: Masterpieces of 19th- and Early 20th-Century Sculpture from the Karlheinz Kronberger Collection.
In 2022, the Lyme Academy of Fine Arts received a gift of over 230 nineteenth- and early twentieth-century small French sculptures from the late collector, chemist, and philanthropist Karlheinz Kronberger. Many of these objects were cast bronzes, made by pouring molten bronze – an alloy of copper, sometimes zinc, and tin – into a mold or several molds until they solidified. Due to the caliber of the artists and bronze foundries that collaborated in this complex process, the Kronberger bronzes are among the finest examples of this art form. Rosa Bonheur, Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux, Aime-Jules Dalou, Paul DuBois, Jean Alexandre Joseph Falguière, Emmanuel Frémiet, Antonin Mercié, and Emmanuel Villanis are just a few of the renowned artists represented, along with the famed French bronze foundries Siot-Decauville and Barbedienne. Numerous examples of bronze sculptures by the nineteenth century’s most successful and influential French artist, Jean-Léon Gérôme, are also featured in the Kronberger Collection.
As Lyme Academy celebrates 50 years since its founding by the sculptor Elizabeth Gordon Chandler (1913-2006), it is particularly fitting to present 50 highlights from the Kronberger Collection in this exhibition. Chandler’s belief in the importance of art made in the Renaissance tradition was shared by each of the represented artists, and by the students who train at Lyme Academy today. The historical artworks presented here therefore offer both a glimpse into the past and inspiration for a future generation of artists who choose to demonstrate their technical skill and creativity in three-dimensional form.
The New Bronze Age: Masterpieces of 19th- and Early 20th-Century Sculpture from the Karlheinz Kronberger Collection
March 20–May 17, 2026
Wednesday–Sunday, 12–4 pm
Please note: the Gallery will be closed on Sunday, April 5, 2026 for the Easter holiday.
Chauncey Stillman Gallery at the Lyme Academy of Fine Arts
84 Lyme Street, South Entrance, Old Lyme, CT 06371
860-434-5232
