It’s the last week to see the Met’s exhibition of Renaissance portraits, on view until March 18th. It is a splendid show that traces the evolution of portraiture in the 15th Century from a standard format to more realistic depictions. Towards the middle of the 1400s the subjects of the paintings came to have a more life-like, vital appearance. Rather than being simply idealized representations, the sitters showed expression and were often painted with negative qualities – physical and spiritual – visible. Perhaps most impressive are some of the marble busts on view: the sculptures show features that are amazingly expressive and, in the case of Desiderio da Settignano’s “Bust of a Young Woman,” enchanting.
Tag: art (page 4 of 7)
The Metropolitan Museum is hosting a charming exhibition featuring Renaissance Venetian art from the museum’s collections. The works – mostly religious in nature – of artists such as Giovanni Bellini and Vittore Carpaccio are part of a show that focuses on the transition in Venice from the Gothic style to that of the Renaissance.
Another exhibition celebrates Perino del Vaga, a sixteenth century artist who trained with Raphael. Perino’s works are in the Mannerist style of the late Renaissance. He was a court artist for Andrea Doria in Genova and later for Pope Paul III in Rome. Two newly discovered works are featured: the painting of the “Holy Family with St. John the Baptist” and the beautiful drawing of “Jupiter and Juno reclining on a Marriage Bed.”
A comprehensive (some 130 pieces) retrospective of Maurizio Cattelan’s works is on view at the Guggenheim. Perhaps known as much as a provocateur as an artist, Cattelan’s pieces have often inspired controversy. The Guggenheim’s show is eye-catching and initially seems messy. The pieces are strung from the ceiling in the museum’s atrium in an amazing hodgepodge. As you make your way up the spiral ramp, you notice single pieces; some things come into focus, others go out. Some works are obvious, others less so. In the end it’s not so overwhelming and there is a sense of well-coreographed fun. The show (and show it is) runs through January 22nd.
The Palazzo Quirinale, currently the official residence of the President of Italy, was built in 1583 as a papal residence and after 1871 was used as the royal residence of the kings of Italy. In 1655 the painter Pietro da Cortona received a commission from Pope Alexander VII to redecorate a wing of the palace. The resulting grand rooms – airy, light-filled and covered with frescoes – were a model for other European palaces. However in 1812, under Napoleon, the rooms were reconfigured and redecorated, covering Pietro’s work. In more recent years, during updating of the electrical system, Pietro’s amazingly well-preserved frescoes were re-discovered. Starting October 16th and following a restoration, the Galleria di Alessandro VII will be added to the areas open to the public on Sundays.
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