Antonello da Messina. Masterpieces from Sicily. The exhibition at the Tretyakov Gallery

[Santa]

Antonello da Messina. Masterpieces from Sicily. The exhibition at the Tretyakov Gallery (TG, 2011)
    Ministry of Culture|State Tretyakov Gallery|Embassy of Italy in Russia|Region of Sicily |
    Regional Asessorat on cultural heritage of Sicily


 Antonello da Messina
    Masterpieces from Sicily


    The exhibition is open from September 10 to November 20, 2011
    Address: Moscow, Lavrushinsky Lane, 10, The State Tretyakov Gallery, Halls № 46-48


   Antonello da Messina (ok.1425/1430-1479) - a symbolic figure in the art of the early Renaissance. The Russian museum collections there is no work of this prominent Italian Renaissance artist, so even four exhibition of works by Antonello da Messina in the Tretyakov Gallery is an important fact of artistic life and a significant event, the Italian culture and Italian language in Russia.

    Creativity Antonello da Messina is "the most convincing and organic synthesis of the elements of Italian and Netherlandish art and culture, a synthesis that can be safely attributed to the number of the highest achievements of the Quattrocento" (VN Lazarev). Travel four works by Antonello da Messina from Sicily to Moscow (three of which are exported for the first time outside Italy!) Allows viewers to compare the Russian and Italian culture, far removed geographically, but united by a common artistic memory of the influence of Byzantine art. It was in his early works by Antonello da Messina, who will be represented at the exhibition, one can see signs of a common inheritance of Byzantine icons with Russian XV-XVII centuries.

    In the study of creativity by Antonello da Messina invariably raises the question of artistic influences from different cultures. In the XV century, the city of Messina, the home of the artist, was at the crossroads of trade routes connecting the Eastern Mediterranean from the edge of Western Europe. Primary education was an artist, probably in his father's workshop, which was a stone carver and jeweler. But the little town that could give a little young artist, in contrast to Naples, the capital of the kingdom and the center of "Mediterranean Revival", a recognized place of distribution Flemish, Spanish and French painting. It was in Naples in the period from 1445 to 1455 started this career Antonello the court of King Alfonso of Aragon (1442-1458), who was a shrewd and cunning politician, seeking to surround his throne halo "enlightened monarch". Thus, Antonello, without leaving the kingdom of Naples, had the opportunity to familiarize themselves with all the subtleties of the Netherlands painting, which was at a premium at the court.

    In 1457 or 1460 (there are conflicting documents), the artist returned to Messina, where got his studio and worked independently. The researchers suggest that Antonello da Messina could at this time to visit Rome. It is known that during the period between 1460 and 1465 the artist worked for years in his native city, which follows from the surviving documents of orders. Given that all the works of this period have been lost, duplex board, "Madonna with Child blessing and worship of the Franciscan" with «Ecco Homo» on the reverse side (wood, tempera. 16h11, 9. Messina Regional Museum Mary Akashina), presented at the exhibition, is one of the few surviving early works by Antonello da Messina. Researchers have attributed it to the period between 1465 and 1470 years. It is very likely that it was part of a small portable altar. This work was acquired in 2003 in a private German collection and transferred to the Regional Museum of Messina.

    Another three boards - the image sv.Dzherolamo, sv.Gregorio and sv.Agostino (wood, tempera. 39h31, 46.5 x 35, 5, 46.5 x 35, 5. Palermo, Regional Gallery Palazzo Abatellis) - in 1952 were cleared by restorers from later records. Together with the fourth lost a board they probably accounted for the top end of the multicast altar - polyptych. The researchers dated these works in 1473 year. Two years later, Antonello da Messina arrived in Venice, and he received orders saying that he was already a recognized artist whose work is appreciated. After becoming acquainted with the works of Andrea Mantegna, Piero della Francesca pictorial language Antonello becomes more monumental generalized. On the other hand, it is believed that it was Antonello da Messina had an impact on Northern Italian painters, especially Giovanni Bellini, demonstrating the possibility of oil equipment in the transmission of light and air and subtle color relationships that were essential to Venetian painting.

    In September 1476 he returned to Messina, which is no longer left until his death in 1479, working on orders. Despite the short life, he was able to absorb and recycle organic most contradictory ideological and artistic currents of his time - and the world of "infinitesimals" Netherlanders, and calm the monumental language of Piero della Francesca, Mantegna and advanced searches.

    The exhibition, organized in the Year of bilateral cultural cooperation Russia - ¬ Italy, 2011, prepared by Italian researchers in conjunction with the staff of the Tretyakov Gallery. A small but informative exhibition catalog can give rise to an in-depth study of a multi-faceted and enigmatic personality of the artist.


    Source: Press Release TG