We saw the NGV Winter exhibition at the invitation of our financial adviser. The gathering included drinks and canapés and a short introductory talk in the Persimmon Room. This was a good social introduction to the evening, and the exhibition was not unduly crowded.
The exhibition had its own Italian -Spanish integrity and the works were, of their kind, magnificent, so Melbournians are very privileged to have access to them on our turf. We are glad to have spent a couple of hours with them.
The majority of the works have a Christian subject, and are firmly anchored in the Christian vision of their time and place (southern Europe catholicism). Titian's Religion succoured by Spain dealing with a triumph over Islam and complete with a snake representing Protestant heresy sums it up
Did Titian really have that view of Spain or was the Master creating art for his patrons? Perhaps a bit of each. Someone imbued with a north European or Byzantine culture view may not be moved.
The biblical themes have perhaps become over familiar, so we found it difficult to experience an engagement of religious sentiment in a gallery context, but this Corregio perspective on one of Christ's resurrection encounters does have emotional grip in spite of the obvious anachronism and geographic misplacement of the representation-
I also thought that Battista got the narrative tone of the16th century Salome and head of John the Baptist right (at the top of the blog), even though the effect is something like seeing Shakespeare's Henry V actors in camouflage fatigues.
I will not feel impoverished never to see any more martyrdoms of St Sebastian, although Reni thought one arrow would suffice
Reproductions are from the ABC accessed 7 July 2014
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