Category: Exhibitions
Celebrating 90 Years with Peaks & Glaciers
February 15 2021
Picture: John Mitchell Fine Paintings
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The dealers John Mitchell Fine Paintings are celebrating their 90th anniversary this year. To celebrate they have launched an online exhibition entitled Peaks & Glaciers. These pictures certainly resonate with the icy conditions that Europe has been experiencing over the past two weeks or so. The exhibition runs from 18th February - 18th March 2021.
Was Rembrandt Linked to the Slave Trade?
February 10 2021
Picture: The Guardian
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The arts columnist Jonathan Jones of the Guardian has asked the above question in his recent review on the Rijksmuseum's new exhibition Slavery.
Jones describes the shock inclusion of Rembrandt's 1634 full length portraits of Marten Soolmans and Oopjen Coppit (pictured):
But there’s a deeply troubling side to this couple’s wealth – and Rembrandt may have wanted us to register that there was something amiss. Soolmans was heir to one of Amsterdam’s biggest sugar refineries, and the production of sugar at its origin point depended on slaves.
...
The Rijksmuseum is stuffed with the artistic riches of the 17th-century Netherlands. For it to draw attention to the links between art, wealth and inhumanity in that age is a bold move. But it is time “to come clean”, Valika Smeulders, the museum’s head of history, told me – in order to “connect the collection to that history”. Parallel to the show, the Rijksmuseum has added labels to 80 objects in its collections that have links to slavery. This goes way beyond culture war cliches, though. In fact, Smeulders doesn’t see it that way at all. Far from a denunciation of the past, she argues, revealing this side of Dutch art can only make it richer.
He ends the piece by suggesting that the museum should have sought a balance by including the Dutch master's Portrait of Two African Men in the Mauritshuis, a point with which I couldn't agree more.
Update - A reader has sent in the following comment:
A little note regarding the article on the forthcoming slavery exhibition at the Rijks. I totally agree on including the 'two african men' in the exhibition, it would be such a nice and important nuance. However, unfortunately, this isn't possible: the picture is part of the Bredius bequest at the Mauritshuis, and can therefor never leave the museum. A construction comparable with the position of the pictures Henry Clay Frick aquired at the Frick. If only this was lifted, some wonderful pictures (some in storage) could complement ensembles and exhibitions elsewhere in the country....
Prague Rembrandt Exhibition Extended till March
February 9 2021
Picture: National Gallery Prague
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
For the lucky inhabitants of Central Europe, the National Gallery Prague's current exhibition Rembrandt: Portrait of a Man has been extended to 21st March 2021.
As the exhibition blurb explains:
The exhibition’s central work is the portrait Scholar in His Study from the collections of the National Gallery Prague, which Rembrandt painted in 1634, a very successful time in his professional and private life. The portrait captures not only the physical appearance of an unknown elderly man, but also his dramatic spiritual life; the man’s facial expression tells a rich story elevating the painting to a level of historical significance. Yet this rare work conceals more questions than answers. In several interconnected parts, the exhibition project seeks to explore the theme of cognition and learning, contemplation and intimacy from various angles – from the artist’s beginnings and early works in this theme’s context to his increasing popularity in Amsterdam in the 1630s, relevant works by his students and contemporaries and the modern understanding of Rembrandt’s oeuvre.
Pre-Raphaelites Drawings and Watercolours at the Ashmolean
February 5 2021
Picture: Ashmolean
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Yesterday was supposed to be the opening of the Ashmolean Museum's most recent exhibition Pre-Raphaelite Drawings and Watercolours.
Although lockdown means that the museum won't be opening any time soon, there are several talks and lectures you can book onto in the upcoming weeks. Equally, their exhibition catalogue is already available for order too.
The exact dates of the exhibition are yet to be confirmed, but it seems likely that they'll be extended due to the pandemic.
Liverpool Museums Loan Boxer Painting from NPG
February 3 2021
Picture: NPG
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Liverpool Museums have been loaned a portrait of the nineteenth century boxer Jem Wharton (1813-1856) from the National Portrait Gallery in London. This portrait by the artist William Daniels has been sent as part of the COMING HOME project, which sees artworks being loaned to locations that they are intimately connected with. Wharton made Liverpool is home towards the end of his unbeaten career, where he worked as a trainer and ran a tavern.
The portrait will be on display when the Museum of Liverpool reopens to the public after lockdown.
Roman Caravaggio Exhibition Extended till May
February 2 2021
Video: Musei Capitolini
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Rome's Musei Capitolini have announced that they have extended their current exhibition Il tempo di Caravaggio till 5th May 2021. The exhibition, which features a great deal of paintings from the collection of the twentieth century academic and curator Roberto Longhi, was due to finish last September. For those of us who won't be able to make it, we have the video above instead!
Raphael Related Works to be Scanned in Naples
February 1 2021
Picture: Ansa.it
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Museo e Real Bosco di Capodimonte in Naples is embarking on a project to infrared-scan all of their paintings relating to Raphael and his followers.
The project is related to an exhibition they will be opening in June alongside an international conference on the artist held at the museum. This research aims to uncover details regarding how the master's workshop functioned, including works that were developed in collaboration with it. The painting illustrated is the work of Gianfrancesco Penni (1488-1528), who is known to have worked in collaboration with Raphael and later with Giulio Romano. All forms of copies and derivations of his work in the museum will be included too.
Leonardo in Senegal
January 24 2021
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The inhabitants of Dakar in Senegal will be the last to enjoy RAI Com's travelling exhibition Opera Omnia Leonardo in the city's Museum of Black Civilisations. This touring show, which features high quality digital copies of Leonardo's works, has been on display in China, Ethiopia and other more out of the way locations since 2019. This digital project is supported by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the intention of sharing cultural masterpieces throughout the world.
The exhibition wind up after the Senegal leg finishes on 28th February 2021.
Sitters Identified in Stuggart Rubens Double Portrait
January 19 2021
Picture: Staatsgalerie Stuttgart
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The recently published Rubenianum Quarterly features a short article on the above double portrait by Peter Paul Rubens. This large oil on canvas, now in the Staatsgalerie Stuttgart, has been unidentified for some time. The attribution too has changed over the centuries. It was given to Van Dyck some time ago, but is now rightfully considered a Genoese period portrait by Rubens.
The article explains that archival research has helped to identify the pair as Geronima Spinola and her Granddaughter Maria Giovanna Serra. One of the details that clinched it was that Geronima was widowed in 1604 and became a nun. The sombre clothing in this portrait seems to be suggestive of a lady in mourning alongside her religious vows.
The painting will be featured in a Rubens exhibition due to be held in Stuttgart this year between 22nd October 2021 - 20th February 2022.
Attribution Controversies Cuts Short Exhibition (?)
January 14 2021
Picture: Valenciaplaza.com
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Spanish digital media outlet Valencia Plaza has published an article regarding the attribution controversy surrounding the above Portrait of a Lady in Profile.
In 2017 Carmen Garrido Pérez, curator and former head of technical documentation at the Prado, unveiled this painting as an early Italian-period canvas by Diego Velázquez. The work was exhibited in the Museum of Fine Arts in València from the Delago Private Collection. Parts of the collection, including the above painting, were due to remain on loan to the museum for 5 years. However, this has been cut short.
The article suggests that controversial attributions of some of the paintings highlighted by experts has played a part in this decision. Carmen Garrido Pérez was also behind the recent controversy regarding a recently upgraded El Greco.
Vermeer Exhibition in Dresden
January 11 2021
Picture: The Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister in Dresden will be opening a new exhibition in June 2021 entitled Johannes Vermeer. On Reflection.
This exhibition will focus on the recent conservation of the gallery's Girl Reading a Letter at an Open Window. The removal of old overpaint shows that Vermeer had intended the scene to include a painting of cupid in the background. This detail, which also features in Vermeer's Lady at the Virginals in London, was overpainted at some point.
The show will also feature loans from the Rijksmuseum, The National Gallery in London and other works by Vermeer's contemporaries.
It seems that the gallery have pushed back the dates of the exhibition to 4th June 2021 - 12th September 2021.
The Younger Brueghels in Russia
January 7 2021
Picture: njerusalem.ru
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
It looks like that inhabitants of the Moscow region are in for a treat with this exhibition.
The Younger Brueghels and Their Time has recently opened at the New Jerusalem Museum, which is attached to the newly restored New Jerusalem Monastery in the vicinity of Moscow. The exhibition features over 70 works by the younger members of the Brueghel dynasty and their Flemish contemporaries. It has been made possible by loans from the collection of Valeria and Konstantin Mauerhaus, one of the largest private collections in Russia. The museum's website explains that their collection has been built up over the past twenty years through sales at Sotheby's, Christie's and other auction houses.
The exhibition runs until the 24th April 2021, and is strictly 18+ as the poster above suggests.
Virtual Dante Exhibition at the Uffizi
January 6 2021
Picture: The Uffizi Gallery
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Uffizi Gallery in Florence is celebrating the 700th anniversary of Dante's death by running a free virtual online exhibition. To Rebehold the Stars features a click through exhibition based on various themes relating to the poet's work. Descriptions in English are forthcoming, the website explains.
Included are very nice images of illustrations of the Divine Comedy by Federico Zucarri (pictured). This is supposedly only the third time the drawings by Zucarri have been seen in public, albeit this time in an online format.
Botticelli Exhibition at Musée Jacquemart-André for Autumn 2021
December 21 2020
Picture: Cincinatti Art Museum
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Art Newspaper has published an article on news that the Musée Jacquemart-André in Paris will be putting on a Botticelli exhibition next Autumn. The show will include loans from across the globe including some works from private collections.
It seems that the focus will be on Botticelli as the head of a workshop. The article quotes co-curator Pierre Currie:
"[The Exhibition] will present Botticelli in his role as a creative artist and also as a businessman and master known as a capobottega [workshop head]”. Botticelli will be presented as a "designer, the head of a major studio in Florence producing paintings, of course, but also drawings for embroideries, marquetry, prints and illuminations."
The exhibition is due to run from 10th September 2021 - 24th January 2022.
Spanish Art in Georgia
December 14 2020
Picture: Bob Jones University Museum & Gallery
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
It looks like the inhabitants of Athens, Georgia, are in for a treat with a new exhibition dedicated to Spanish Art. Power and Piety in 17th Century Spanish Art is opening within The University of Georgia's Museum of Art, and will include paintings by the likes of Francisco de Zurbarán, José Antolínez, Pedro Orrente, the workshop of Bartolomé Esteban Murillo and Francisco de Herrera the Elder. For those of you who can't make it, the museum are also putting on a few free Zoom talks to coincide with the exhibition.
Renaissance Watercolours at the V&A
December 9 2020
Picture: V&A
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
I'm very much looking forward to visiting the recently opened Renaissance Watercolours exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. This free exhibition brings together a beautiful selection of works on paper and vellum ranging from manuscripts to miniatures and designs for armour to delicate studies of fruit.
Coincidentally, the V&A has also announced that it will be closing two days a week until early 2021. It will now only be possible to visit between Wednesdays and Sundays until further notice. The museum managed to attract 15% of its pre-covid visitor numbers in August and it hopes that by 2021-2022 it will be back to around 50%.
The Queen's Paintings are On The Move
November 24 2020
Video: The Royal Collection Trust
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Royal Collection Trust have posted this rather fun time-lapse video of paintings being removed from the Picture Gallery at Buckingham Palace. Works by Rembrandt, Rubens, Canaletto and Van Dyck will be appearing in a special exhibition in the Queen's Gallery which opens next week.
Wright of Derby: Art & Science
November 24 2020
Picture: The National Gallery via. Uffizi Gallery
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
A reader has been in touch to point out that the Uffizi Gallery in Florence are preparing to reopen with this brilliant sounding exhibition Wright of Derby: Art & Science. This includes an important loan from the National Gallery in London of An Experiment on a Bird in an Air Pump (pictured). Other works by the likes of Dou, Cavarozzi and Crespi are included in the show.
The exhibition opened on 6th October 2020 is due to run until 24th January 2021. In case you can't visit Florence in person to see it, the museum have uploaded a 'virtual online visit' with slides via. the link above.
Lecture: Lost Treasures of Strawberry Hill
November 17 2020
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Strawberry Hill, the former home of the connoisseur Sir Horace Walpole, are broadcasting a lecture on Thursday evening (19th November 2020) on their brilliant 2018 exhibition The Lost Treasures of Strawberry Hill. The talk will be given by the exhibition's co-curator Silvia Davoli, and will surely feature many of the great paintings that were reunited in this marvellous neo-Gothic interior.
The lecture costs £8 for guests but is free for members and patrons of Strawberry Hill.
Exhibition Catalogue: Paintings on Stone
November 13 2020
Picture: Hirmer Verlag
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
I've spotted on Instagram (via. @bastianeclercy) that although the Saint Louis Art Museum's upcoming exhibition Paintings on Stone has been delayed till 2022, their 320 page exhibition catalogue is printed and available for purchase.
As the publisher's blurb describes:
Painting on Stone: Science and the Sacred 1530–1800
Paintings on Stone: Science and the Sacred examines a fascinating tradition long overlooked by art historians – stone surfaces used to create stunning portraits, mythological scenes, and sacred images. Written by an international team of scholars, the catalogue reveals the significance of these paintings, their complex meanings, and their technical virtuosity.
The catalogue is available to order through the publisher Hirmer Verlag.
The cover features a late sixteenth century painting on Lapis Lazuli by Giuseppe Cesari. The picture was acquired by the Saint Louis Museum of Art in 2000.
