We started this morning with a quintessential example of Renaissance art with: Masaccio's Virgin and Child, 1426, which we them compared with a similar work by Gentile da Fabriano; his Virgin and Child, 1425, we then looked at love, marriage and sexual appetite with Botticelli's Venus and Mars, 1485, followed by Poussin's very odd pagan rites of his Bacchanalian Revel before a Term, 1630-4. With mythology and the sexual excitement of the nude we moved on to Velazquez's mysterious Rokeby Venus, 1647-51. Why is this the only nude in existence and where in the world by Velazquez and is this really an image of Venus or somebody Velazquez actually knew? And finally Seurat's monumental canvas Bathers at Asnieres, 1884
It was indeed an exciting tour filled with laughter & real life resonances regarding love, life, betrayal and ridicule. Be part of the next tour today featuring a new selection of pictures, at 14:30.
Welcome back to my 2nd free guided tour of the NG. If you missed today's 14:30 tour or just want to know want a list of what we saw...Here is a list of those masterpieces: We began with a painting by an unknown artisan described only as the Margarito of Arezzo, 1260's, this painting was bought in the 19th century by the National Gallery not because they though it was a superb example of art, but precisely because they though it was a bad example of art that could be used to demonstrate just how far art had progressed from the 13th century to the 16th century with the art of Raphael, indeed it was described as primitive. We then looked a painting that is an enigma in its own right, the mysterious so-called Wilton Diptych, c.1395-99. Again there is no recorded artist for this small portable folding altarpiece, but it is filled with symbolism and richly decorated with real gold leaf and expensive colours such ultramarine blue. We then moved on to Titian's Diana and Actaeon, 1575, a painting executed towards the end of the life of this illustrious Venetian Renaissance master; who even in his old age was experimenting with new styles in painting, indeed this painting could be said to be exhibiting the earliest example of what came to be known as 'Impressionism' long before the term was coined in the 19th century. And so from Titian we moved into the 18th century with the work of a now little know painter called Sebastiano Ricci. Ricci's Bacchus and Ariadne, 1700-10, demonstrate a painter at the height of his powers with this popular mythological subject that was made famous by painters of a previous age including Titian. And finally we alighted on one of only three works owned by the National Gallery, the work, Caravaggio's Supper at Emmaus, 1601. This picture has many strange anomalies such as the strange fall of light on the characters within, the strange view point of us, the spectator, and the mysterious possible error of a large outsized hand. Indeed this an artist that was much maligned within and for centuries after his death. Here is just a few of the comments that were made about Caravaggio just decades after his death in 1611:
“For that Florentine-born Spaniard, Caravaggio was an evil genius, who worked naturally, almost without precepts, without study, but with only the strength of his talents… the coming of this man to the world was an omen of the ruin and demise of painting… this anti-Michelangelo, with his showy and superficial imitation, his stunning manner, and liveliness, has been able to persuade such a great number and variety of people that this is good painting… that they have turned their backs on the true way.”
Vincencio Carducho, artist and writer, 1633
“Michele’s work often degenerated into common and vulgar forms.” He lacked invenzione, decorum, disegno, or any knowledge of the science of painting…it seems that he imitated art without art.” “The moment the model was taken from him, his hand and mind became empty… Caravaggio suppressed the dignity of art, everybody did as he pleased, and what followed was contempt for beautiful things, the authority of antiquity and Raphael destroyed.”
Caravaggio's reputation would not be revived until the 20th century and this comment would be instumental in helping to revive his reputation:
“There is hardly any one artist whose work is of such moment as [Caravaggio’s] in the development of modern art… he was, indeed, in many senses the first modern artist; the first… to proceed not by evolution but by revolution; the first to rely entirely on his own temperamental attitude and to defy tradition and authority. Though in many senses his art is highly conventional… he was the first realist… his force and sincerity compel our admiration, and the sheer power of his originality makes him one of the most interesting figures in the history of art.”
Next NG tours by artfirstprimo: Sat 29 Oct at 11:30 or 14:30 and Fri 4 Nov at 11:30 or 14:30.
See you there.
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