MARK MUTCHNIK (1946-1990)
"Pyramid Variation: 9, 17, and 22." Together, 3 illustrations reproduced as posters for the Seattle Art Museum's "Treasures of Tutankhamun" exhibition held at the Seattle Center Flag Pavilion, July 15 to November 15, 1978. Watercolor over graphite on paper. Each approximately 180x120 mm; 7x4¾ inches, on 10x8-inch sheets. Each titled, signed "M. A. Mutchnik," and dated 1977 in graphite in lower margin. Hinged to mattes. Drawing massive crowds, “Treasures of Tutankhamun” is often recognized as the original blockbuster exhibition. The now iconic artifacts extracted from the tomb of the boy-king captivated the American public as they traveled to six cities across the United States from November 1976 to April 1979, spending four months in each Washington, D.C., Chicago, New Orleans, Los Angeles, Seattle, and New York City.The Seattle leg of “Treasures” opened at Seattle Center’s Flag Pavilion on July 15, 1978. Though the Seattle Art Museum sponsored the exhibition, the institution’s facilities were deemed insufficient. As a result, the Flag Pavilion, originally constructed for the 1962 World’s Fair, underwent a renovation that allowed it to host the approximately 1.29 million visitors who flocked to “Treasures” during its Seattle run. (Reference: Meredith Hindley. “King Tut: A Classic Blockbuster Museum Exhibition That Began as a Diplomatic Gesture” in HUMANITIES, September/October 2015, Volume 36, Number 5.)