Year of Italy in Russia

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"The Lady with the Unicorn" by Rafael represented the Moscow public

19/03/201114: 37

MOSCOW, March 19 - RIA Novosti. The painting "Lady with a Unicorn" (Dama col liocorno, 1504-1506) artist of the Renaissance of Raphael Santi was presented Saturday at the Italian Embassy in Moscow, the launch of the Year in Italy in Russia, a masterpiece were Culture Minister Alexander Avdeev, Minister of Science and Education of Italy Mariyastella Dzhelmini (Mariastella Gelmini) and the Italian Ambassador Antonio Zanardi-Landi (Antonio Zanardi Landi).

"Arriving in Moscow," the Lady with a Unicorn "from Rome Galleria Borghese (Galleria Borghese) - an example of what can be done by ambassadors and embassy when the two countries have excellent relations. I know that this is a personal initiative of the Ambassador, which was supported by museums in Italy and leadership of the country, "- said Avdeev.

"It's a great gesture of friendship" - he said in Italian.

"The Lady with the Unicorn" before March 24 will stay in the mansion Berg in Money Lane, where the embassy is located in Italy, and then move to the Pushkin Museum of Fine and stay there until May 10. Raphael masterpiece opens a whole program monovystavok: in June and July, the embassy will show "Double Portrait" Giorgione of the Roman Palazzo Venezia, in September and October may bring "Medusa's head" Bernini (1630) from the Capitoline Museums, and in December-January show "A young man with a basket of fruit" Caravaggio, again from the Borghese Gallery - the last leaf will also participate in large-scale exhibition, scheduled for December 2011 - February 2012.

"In Russia, from Italy expects a lot, and we will try to meet the expectations" - said Dzhelmini, promising that the events related to Italy to continue in Russia and in 2012.

"Ozone" painting

"The Lady with the Unicorn" written in 1504, when still very young Raphael came to Florence and briefly crossed paths there with Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. "Konencho, he was captured, stunned the Mona Lisa," - noted the director of the Pushkin Museum of Fine Irina Antonova.

Art historians have repeatedly compared the two portraits of smiling ladies, however, convinced Antonova, comparisons begin and end on the fact that both heroines are the viewer in a landscape.

"The image of Leonardo - an image built on contact with the audience. But Mona Lisa - a psychological attack, a clot of energy, and the title role in this play famous leonardovskoe" Sfumato (reception at the painting, softening the outlines depicted), disturbing the viewer. Rafael holds a strong-willed attack another character: it relies on the plastic power of the image, for it plays an important role color. I call this painting "ozone, oxygen saturation, because of its very lightening tone, which creates an image of purity, innocence, femininity and many other virtues, that there is this woman, "- said the director of the Pushkin Museum.

Three in one

According to the head of the United museums of Rome (Polo museale di Roma) Rosselli Vaudreuil (Rossella Vodret), the heroine during the creation of Raphael's paintings had to replace several roles, and discover it only during the radiographic study, that "The Lady with the Unicorn" has undergone in 1927, the first time in the history of Italian science.

Revealed that the first Raphael wrote the girl with a dog on her lap. "Maybe it was a wedding portrait, which was before the marriage was supposed to send the groom. Dog - a symbol of marital fidelity," - said Vaudreuil.

However, the picture was not finished.

"Why - we do not know. Maybe the wedding was upset, perhaps, the groom died. Whatever it was, Raphael went back to this thing just a few years later, and then we finished the hands of ladies, who now has embraced a unicorn. Thus, the symbolic meaning the picture changes: the unicorn - a sign of purity and chastity, "- said the head of the United museums.

According to her, after several decades, at the end of the XVI century "Lady with a unicorn" became a St. Catherine of Alexandria: the unknown artist covered her shoulders, a cloak and depicted in the background of the wheel, a symbol of martyrdom of the saint. And just in time restoration 1935-36's picture back the previous form. Appeared in parallel assumption is that, "The Lady with the Unicorn" was a portrait of Giulia Farnese, the mistress of Pope Alexander VI Borgia, but later found unsubstantiated conjecture.

Vaudreuil noted that "The Lady with the Unicorn" rarely leaves the boundaries of Italy. Preparation of its visit to Moscow lasted for three months: in the beginning has been made air-tight container, which should remain familiar to the climate pattern, then a wooden box of special design, which allows tightly secure container, without giving the board a fragile move even a millimeter. In a specially equipped car masterpiece of Raphael taken to the Rome airport, from where he left out the government, flew to Moscow.

http://www.rian.ru/culture/20110319/355639249.html

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Raphael Sanzio "Lady with a Unicorn." Help

21/03/201112: 24

Work by Raphael Sanzio The Lady with the Unicorn "was brought to Moscow. Before March 24, she will stay in the mansion Berg in Money Lane, where the embassy is located in Italy, and then move to the Pushkin Museum of Fine and stay there until May 10.

The famous painting by Raphael Sanzio of the Renaissance, "The Lady with the Unicorn" (Dama col liocorno) was written by the artist in 1504 during his stay in Florence.

It is believed that Raphael created this portrait is not without influence, "Mona Lisa" by Leonardo da Vinci, who in those years also worked in Florence. However, according to art historians, "The Lady with the Unicorn" recalls some of Gioconda only compositional tricks.

In this portrait, painted on canvas oil painting (size painting 65 x 51) shows a young woman who is holding a tiny baby unicorn. Stylized unicorn in the painting by Raphael is more like a cute little animal home. According to legend, the same unicorn - a mythical beast with the body of a bull, a horse or a goat and a long straight horn on his forehead. According to legend, a ferocious unicorn, a symbol of purity and virginity, can tame just an innocent girl.

I picture a very difficult destiny. In the past, it was badly damaged. Restoration of the painting will return a masterpiece of its original appearance. Only in the twentieth century restorers freed painting from the later dopisok and brought it to its original appearance. In the 1930's. were found in subsequent records, which opened the complex process of distortion created by Rafael original image.

Relatively recently, was withdrawn the question of authorship.

In the nineteenth century, when the portrait was in an art collection of the Villa Borghese, its author was regarded as Perugino. And only in 1928, the authoritative historian of art Robert Long attributed the portrait as a work by Raphael Sanzio, referring to himself beginning of the sixteenth century. Hunch confirmed radiographic study conducted in 1927, the first time in the history of Italian science. They found several layers of paintings and many curious details. It turned out that at first it was the "Lady with the Dog," and then on top of the dog appeared unicorn. Several times copied and hand the ladies.

However, the picture was not finished. Raphael returned to this thing just a few years later, and then we finished the hands of ladies, who now has embraced a unicorn. Thus, the symbolic meaning of the picture changes: the unicorn - a sign of purity and chastity.

At the end of the XVI century "Lady with a unicorn" became a St. Catherine of Alexandria: the unknown artist covered her shoulders, a cloak and depicted in the background of the wheel, a symbol of martyrdom of the saint. And just in time restoration of 1935-1936. picture back the previous form.

Subsequently, some scholars have suggested that "The Lady with the Unicorn" is a portrait of Giulia Farnese (Giulia Farnese) - mistress of Pope Alexander VI (Rodrigo Borgia), representatives of the Farnese dynasty, but later found unsubstantiated conjecture.

In the early twenty-first century re-emerged controversy regarding authorship of Raphael. Doubt on this occasion expressed his well-known art critic and chairman of the Scientific Committee of the picture Professor Pier-Luigi De eyelids that did not convince the analysis of the style of a portrait, made after the restoration.

However, the results of numerous examinations proved that "The Lady with the Unicorn" is written by Raphael, as evidenced by the specific details peculiar artistic style of this master.

The painting "Lady with the Unicorn" is kept in Rome's Borghese Gallery (Galleria Borghese) and leaves the museum is extremely rare.

Material is based on open sources of information

http://www.rian.ru/spravka/20110321/356218874.html

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"Thunderstorm" by Giorgione in Venice reached the Hermitage

05/07/201120: 53

S. PETERSBURG, July 5 - RIA Novosti. The exhibition of one painting in the Hermitage, a masterpiece of Renaissance - "Killer" painted by Giorgio de Castelfranco, opened at the Apollo Hall of the Winter Palace.

"This wonderful painting is only the second time leaving Italy, to be exhibited in St. Petersburg. Cultural Capital of Russia would enrich his story on this remarkable event," - said Riccardo Villari, Deputy Minister of Cultural Heritage of Italy. Earlier, the "Storm" were taken from the Venetian walls of the Galleria dell'Accademia only once - in London in 1930.

Deputy Culture Minister Andrei Gagarin said that this event was made possible by cross-year Russia - Italy.

"Arriving in St. Petersburg this masterpiece shows the greatest trust that exists between the peoples of Russia and Italy" - he said, adding that in the northern capital long walks joke "in St. Petersburg in July, is expected to" Thunderstorm ".

Irina Artemyev, curator of the Hermitage Museum, said that Giorgione, despite its status as one of the founding fathers "of the High Renaissance," is still poorly known and enigmatic artist. So, his full name, Giorgio di Giovanni Gasparini da Castelfranco, only became known in the past year.

Itself "Thunderstorm" and her story also remains for critics disputed. Not known the exact date of writing work, it ceased to be regarded as an illustration of the vicissitudes of the artist's life only recently. Heroes of the picture - a woman breastfeeding a baby and a young man in a jacket - the same is often seen as biblical characters as the mythological characters, or as allegories.

"Cross-year Russia and Italy in particular, an exhibition of" Thunderstorm ", I want to count only the beginning of cultural cooperation between our countries" - said Giovanna Damiani, Head of the Special Department for protection of objects of artistic, historical and heritage etnoantropologicheskogo. Indeed, the cooperation will continue in September in the Academy Gallery in Venice, an exhibition which will be presented two works by Lorenzo Lotto of the Hermitage: "Family Portrait" and "Madonna delle Grazie". Previously, they did not leave the walls of the museum.

The Hermitage in November will bring "The Annunciation" by Carlo Crivelli, here an exhibition "Italian paintings of the XIX Century" and in December, will exhibit the ancient frescoes and sculptures of "Antiquities of Herculaneum".

"Storm" by Giorgione, can be viewed on Aug. 7.

http://www.ria.ru/culture/20110705/397820001.html

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Сообщение от Tiutchev

Indeed, the cooperation will continue in September in the Academy Gallery in Venice, an exhibition which will be presented two papers Lorenzo Lotto from the Hermitage : " Family Portrait" and the " Madonna delle Grazie ". Previously, they did not leave the walls of the museum.

Family Portrait
Lotto, Lorenzo.
Oil on canvas. 96x116 cm
Italy . 1523/1524 gg.
Admission : between 1773 and 1785 .

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Сообщение от Tiutchev

 Indeed, the cooperation will continue in September in the Academy Gallery in Venice, an exhibition which will be presented two papers Lorenzo Lotto from the Hermitage: "Family Portrait" and "Madonna delle Grazie". Previously, they did not leave the walls of the museum.

Lost Angels

 It would seem that all the work of famous artists of the past studied the length and breadth. But these days happens to discover the unknown masterpieces of famous artists.

Art historian, an expert on Italian art Irina Artemiev has received a grant Vladimir Potanin Foundation for the attribution of paintings of famous Italian master Lorenzo Lotto "Madonna delle Grazie". This artist may be called the most extravagant and inimitable genius of Italian Renaissance art, he went to the unbeaten path, regardless of fashion trends and the whims of customers. The Hermitage has several works by Lorenzo Lotto, which reflect the different stages of the artist, but works relating to the last period of life of the master, was not.

Seeing the painting depicting the Madonna and Child that is listed in the inventory of the Hermitage as the work of an unknown Italian artist of the XVI century, Irina Artemyeva thought it was very similar to the late Lorenzo Lotto. But how does it install? For information about the origin of the paintings were pretty sparse: a
1920 it was nationalized from private collection in St. Petersburg, came into the office and taken out antiques at auction in Germany. But there now is not purchased, and in 1933 she returned to Russia and was transferred to the Hermitage.
It remained to seek documentary evidence of the life of Lorenzo Lotto, which would point to pictures belonging to this wizard. And such evidence was found in the detected back in 1892 the book of accounts of the artist, which he carefully wrote down all your income and expenses in recent years. The book discusses two "Madonna", to this day not associated with any of the known works of the master. In particular, about one of them in January 1542 Lotto wrote: "... a picture of the Madonna and the three angels, which Messer Mario wished to see completed on the day of vows as a nun Lucrezia - 12 ducats."

 - He wrote repeatedly about the Madonna with the three angels, and we were no angels, - says Irina Artemiev. - And then I thought it was such a dark background for a picture of the time uncharacteristic, it is too discordant with the bright, strong light, the Madonna and Child. And carried the picture on the X-ray. X-ray for some reason could not have done a long time, I was nervous, finally, she called and asked, "Well, is there anything else?" - "There's an angel." - "Only one?" - "How much do you want?" - "I've got to make it three." - "Three is." I was jumping for joy all day long! We will have an infrared imaging, which behind Madonna's perfectly readable figures of three angels. Next restorer Sergey Kiselev successfully cleared the painting from the late pollution, and all the richness of color were the angels world.
At the World Congress in Italy, dedicated to the 450th anniversary of the death of Lorenzo Lotto, Irina Artemyev gave a presentation, which made a sensation. The researchers of the Italian Renaissance confirmed with absolute certainty that this was the "Madonna delle Grazie", written by Lorenzo Lotto in 1542.

After a temporary exhibition in the Apollo Hall, marking the traditional Days of December's Hermitage, the "Madonna delle Grazie" will take its place in the permanent exhibition of Venetian Renaissance painting.

http://www.interros.ru/050054052048124053056054056/

[Santa]

Сообщение от Tiutchev ; 1694113"

He wrote repeatedly about the Madonna with the three angels , and we were no angels , - says Irina Artemiev. - And then I thought it was such a dark background for a picture of the time uncharacteristic , it is too discordant with the bright, strong light, the Madonna and Child. And carried the picture on the X-ray . X-ray for some reason, long to do it, I was nervous , finally called myself and asked , "Well, is there anything else? " - " There's an angel." - "Only one ? " - "How much do you want? " - "I've got to make it three." - "Three is ." I was jumping for joy all day long!

 Absolutely normal reaction, this is absolutely an art , an absolute devotee ..
Respect a true master of his craft !

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Сообщение от Tiutchev

The Hermitage in November will bring "The Annunciation" by Carlo Crivelli...

Crivelli, Carlo (Crivelli, Carlo) (between 1430 and 1435 - ca. 1495), Italian painter, representative of the Venetian school. The life Crivelli, little is known reliably. Perhaps he was born in Venice. The earliest extant dated works Crivelli - polyptych made it to the church of San Silvestro in the town of Fermanagh in the Province of Massa Marche (completed in 1468). In 1490 Prince Ferdinand of Capua granted him the title of nobility, probably not for the artistic achievements and for his political beliefs. At that time Crivelli was living in Ascoli Piceno.

Like his contemporary, the Venetian Giovanni Bellini, Crivelli experienced in his work a strong influence of the Padua school, whose leading exponents were Skvarchone Francesco and Andrea Mantegna, as well as some other artists such as Rogier van der Weyden, Gentile da Fabriano and Antonello da Messina . Significant difference between the style of Bellini and Crivelli explained partly by the fact that the latter adopted many things with Antonio Vivarini. For Crivelli painting, as well as for paintings Vivarini, characterized by a love for decorative effects and acute linearity. Using illyuzionisticheski techniques also may be a consequence of the influence Vivarini. Among the most famous paintings Crivelli The Annunciation (1486, London, National Gallery), Crucifixion (c. 1490, Milan, Brera Gallery) and Madonna with a candle (1492 , ibid.) For works of the master characteristic ornamentation, the attention to detail, accuracy and rigidity in the interpretation of form and expression, which is close in spirit to the late Gothic.

Whipper BR Italian Renaissance. XIII-XVI Century, Vols. 1-2. M., 1977

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Irina Antonova: «The museum is staying very rare for us to work Lorenzo Bernini" Head of Medusa. " For many reasons, the sculptures in this museum shows far less than painting, it is primarily due to the difficulties of transportation.

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Lorenzo Bernini, Italian artist of the XVII century, the most representative figure of the Baroque period following the Renaissance period in a major development not only of Italy but of all European art. Baroque style became one of the first areas that have joined the art of almost all European countries. Lorenzo Bernini was not only a sculptor but also an architect and painter. As an architect, he made the most significant contribution to stage design for all of Rome. Having been in this town, you can not avoid being in front of Bernini's architectural creations: first of all, this is St. Peter's Square, which is the world's largest cathedral of St. Peter. Building on this work, many architects so that the interior of the cathedral, its volume, the famous dome of the product of the great sculptor Michelangelo. As for the facade, he was made a little later the architect Carlo Maderno.

But the first thing encountered anyone who gets in Rome is the Piazza San Marco, which is surrounded by wonderful colonnade horseshoe encompassing all of space. In the arms of the colonnade is anyone who enters the area. This remarkable architectural motif represents the grain of the city.

Bernini as architect and sculptor, was decorated with many fountains, creating an architectural model and the individual figures. This is the famous "Four Rivers" on one of the main squares of Rome, Piazza Navona, a remarkable elongated space surrounded by cathedrals. This is a fountain of Triton in Piazza Barberini, and finally, a fountain at the foot of the famous Spanish Steps. A huge number of churches, for example, Sant'Andrea in the Quirinale, were made by Bernini. In addition, he owns a lot of so-called easel sculpture, that is, some sculptures placed in different parts of the city.

Bernini did many portraits, including portraits of cardinals, the rulers of Italy, etc. But the little head, which is now exhibited in this museum, has always been in his personal collection, and it is no accident. Apparently, this work he gave some special significance.

What is the head and who is a Medusa? This is one of three sisters in the Gorgons of classical mythology, the only one of them the former capital. This punishment, which is intended to her goddess Athena, who appears in a painting by Botticelli, "Pallas and the Centaur," and is now in our museum. Jellyfish have been raped in the temple of Poseidon, dedicated to Athena. And although she was a victim, Athena punished her for desecrating the church: it made Medusa death and turned the beautiful girl's hair into horrible snakes. We see her head, wrapped in little scary monsters. Moreover, the hero Perseus, Athena sent to kill Medusa, but to do it was hard, because sight of Medusa turned everyone who even fleetingly met her eyes to stone. Athena gave Perseus sage advice: Do not look at Medusa, and only as a last resort only to see her reflection in the shield, which Perseus had to deliver against her eyes.

But anyway, when Medusa was asleep, Perseus crept up to her and chopped off his head. This story, when Perseus cuts off Medusa's head, is very common in Italian painting. For instance, the great Caravaggio depicted a shield with the head Medusa. But the most famous work is a sculpture by Benvenuto Cellini, standing in Florence at the Piazza della Signoria: it shows Perseus with the severed head, which drips blood of Medusa. Bernini depicts it quite differently: it is a beautiful young girl. First of all, it does not hit the snake, and facial expression, full of grief, stress and despair. Particularly expressive her eyebrows triangle shifted and lifted up, giving the face a painful and evil expression. This Medusa is a victim, she was not very friendly to people, but it is a victim. Bernini with astonishing skill gave the entire emotional structure of her personality.

Baroque style renowned for its picturesque as in architecture and sculpture of the time there is something of painting techniques. See how in this case processed surface of the face: in some places it is polished, shiny, and in some, as it were covered with patina. That's how we see the real human face. In his volume of Bernini's drawn very beautifully, it depends on the incident light, in a word, it's a wonderful image.

Why did Bernini kept it in his head, do not not sell it? On this question there is an assumption, expressed by some scientists. In the life of Bernini was lonely, very upset dramatically. He fell in love with the wife of his friend the sculptor Constance Bonarelli, which was very beautiful young woman. She became his mistress, but in a moment of Bernini's learned that she is cheating on him with his younger brother. He flew into a rage and ordered his servant to disfigure the person beloved, and then wanted to kill his younger brother, but the latter managed to escape, hiding in the church. I must say that this is not a legend, this famous story. There is a document of Pope Urban VIII, who has mercy on Bernini's forgiveness because he, the great sculptor and architect, and the need to Rome, and in spite of a great sin, he forgives him.

Is the portrait of Medusa is an allegorical portrait of Constance? We will never know, but the similarity between this head and the famous portrait of Constance there. So romantic story, too, perhaps appropriately.

The Museum has a plan on an "exhibition of a masterpiece" in connection with this year Italian-Russian and Russian-Italian. This sculpture is one of the few works that we have already shown at the Museum this year, and we will show. "

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Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini. "Head of Medusa." From the collection of the Capitoline Museums (Rome, Italy)

Pushkin Museum. AS Pushkin's masterpiece continues to show of Italian art in the Year of Italy in Russia. Following the works of the Renaissance - the painting "Lady with the Unicorn" by Raphael Sanzio of meeting the Galleria Borghese and the painting "Pallas and the Centaur" by Sandro Botticelli in the Uffizi Gallery - the museum has one of the jewels of the Italian Baroque - Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini sculpture "Head of Medusa" in the Capitoline Museums (Rome).

Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini (1598 - 1680) - one of the greatest geniuses of the XVII century. The sculptor, creator of the urban ensembles, stage designer, but first and foremost, an architect. None of the artists are not affected to such an extent on the shape of Rome, as was done by Bernini: he created in front of the Cathedral of St. Peter's vast area with a colonnade, such "open arms" and numerous works that adorn the interior of the basilica, Palazzo Barberini, the church of Sant 'Andrea al Quirinale, the Fountain of Triton and Fountain of the Four Rivers in the famous Piazza Navona. And these are just some of the most famous of his creations. Glory to the master was so loud that in 1665, Louis XIV invited him to Paris for the Louvre palace adjustment.

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Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini sculpture "Head of Medusa" (1630), presented in the Pushkin Museum. AS Pushkin, considered to be one of the gems, created a great sculptor. The basis for the works of Bernini's served as a story out of Greek mythology, Medusa, being archaic. Unlike the two other sisters, Medusa was mortal, after Athena punished her for desecrating the church, which was devoid of innocence gorgon Poseidon. According to one version, the Gorgon Medusa was a girl with beautiful hair and wanted to compete with Athena in beauty. But over the desecration of the temple goddess of wisdom turned her hair into snakes and made mortal. Anyone who dared to look at Medusa, turned to stone. Gorgon win was only the hero Perseus, who enjoyed the patronage of Athens. Goddess of wisdom and advise to the hero, who was slain with Medusa, to look not at the very Gorgon, and at her reflection in the shiny surface of the shield. Using Mercury's winged sandals, Perseus, having experienced many adventures, beheaded the sleeping Medusa. After that, Pallas Athena placed her head on her aegis, the shield and then as a formidable weapon, helping to transform enemies into stone of wisdom and justice - virtues that embodies the goddess.

Initially portrayed an ugly monster Gorgon, with snakes curling around his head, like hair, bulging eyes, protruding tongue and fangs protruding from his mouth. Horrible grimace Gorgon was to instill fear and cause instant death and fossilization of the consequences of even a cursory glance at her. Later, in classical art, the image of Medusa poeticises, it turns into an extraordinary creature dared to compete with the Athena and a victim of an unexpected transformation. Very proud of his beauty, and, in particular, the magnificent head of hair, Medusa was punished by the chaste goddess transformed her hair into snakes, which in ancient times symbolized sensuality.

Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini carved in the full sense of the word bust-portrait of the most beautiful and Death Gorgon, imprinted in the transitional moment of its transformation. The game is clear: the body turns to stone, her hair - a dragon, happiness - in horror, and the final transformation, which does not leave hope. Bernini was undoubtedly familiar with the text "Metamorphoses" by Ovid, as well as the poetry of his contemporary poet Giovanni Battista Marino, whose poem, Medusa looks at his reflected image in an imaginary mirror, being caught in the moment with the pain and anxiety she is aware of his transformation into a marble and a cruel grin distorted her features. Marino and Bernini, seeking to discover the remarkable imitative quality sculpture reinterprets the ancient myth is not his view Gorgon turns enemies into stone, but the Medusa, which catches the fatal mistake of his image in an imaginary mirror, literally before our eyes into a marble. For Medusa Bernini - a refined baroque metaphor of sculpture, its high qualities and sculpture, which has the power to get petrified with surprise those who are able to come to the delight of the extraordinary skill of his chisel.

"Head of Medusa" by Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini - one of the masterpieces of Baroque art, which in its fullness of life and aesthetic principles in many respects close to our time.

http://www.arts-museum.ru/events/arc...nini/index.php

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Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini. "Head of Medusa." From the collection of the Capitoline Museums (Rome, Italy)

Pushkin Museum. AS Pushkin's masterpiece continues to show of Italian art in the Year of Italy in Russia. Following the works of the Renaissance - the painting "Lady with the Unicorn" by Raphael Sanzio of meeting the Galleria Borghese and the painting "Pallas and the Centaur" by Sandro Botticelli in the Uffizi Gallery - the museum has one of the jewels of the Italian Baroque - Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini sculpture "Head of Medusa" in the Capitoline Museums (Rome).

Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini (1598 - 1680) - one of the greatest geniuses of the XVII century. The sculptor, creator of the urban ensembles, stage designer, but first and foremost, an architect. None of the artists are not affected to such an extent on the shape of Rome, as was done by Bernini: he created in front of the Cathedral of St. Peter's vast area with a colonnade, such "open arms" and numerous works that adorn the interior of the basilica, Palazzo Barberini, the church of Sant 'Andrea al Quirinale, the Fountain of Triton and Fountain of the Four Rivers in the famous Piazza Navona. And these are just some of the most famous of his creations. Glory to the master was so loud that in 1665, Louis XIV invited him to Paris for the Louvre palace adjustment.

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Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini sculpture "Head of Medusa" (1630), presented in the Pushkin Museum. AS Pushkin, considered to be one of the gems, created a great sculptor. The basis for the works of Bernini's served as a story out of Greek mythology, Medusa, being archaic. Unlike the two other sisters, Medusa was mortal, after Athena punished her for desecrating the church, which was devoid of innocence gorgon Poseidon. According to one version, the Gorgon Medusa was a girl with beautiful hair and wanted to compete with Athena in beauty. But over the desecration of the temple goddess of wisdom turned her hair into snakes and made mortal. Anyone who dared to look at Medusa, turned to stone. Gorgon win was only the hero Perseus, who enjoyed the patronage of Athens. Goddess of wisdom and advise to the hero, who was slain with Medusa, to look not at the very Gorgon, and at her reflection in the shiny surface of the shield. Using Mercury's winged sandals, Perseus, having experienced many adventures, beheaded the sleeping Medusa. After that, Pallas Athena placed her head on her aegis, the shield and then as a formidable weapon, helping to transform enemies into stone of wisdom and justice - virtues that embodies the goddess.

Initially portrayed an ugly monster Gorgon, with snakes curling around his head, like hair, bulging eyes, protruding tongue and fangs protruding from his mouth. Horrible grimace Gorgon was to instill fear and cause instant death and fossilization of the consequences of even a cursory glance at her. Later, in classical art, the image of Medusa poeticises, it turns into an extraordinary creature dared to compete with the Athena and a victim of an unexpected transformation. Very proud of his beauty, and, in particular, the magnificent head of hair, Medusa was punished by the chaste goddess transformed her hair into snakes, which in ancient times symbolized sensuality.

Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini carved in the full sense of the word bust-portrait of the most beautiful and Death Gorgon, imprinted in the transitional moment of its transformation. The game is clear: the body turns to stone, her hair - a dragon, happiness - in horror, and the final transformation, which does not leave hope. Bernini was undoubtedly familiar with the text "Metamorphoses" by Ovid, as well as the poetry of his contemporary poet Giovanni Battista Marino, whose poem, Medusa looks at his reflected image in an imaginary mirror, being caught in the moment with the pain and anxiety she is aware of his transformation into a marble and a cruel grin distorted her features. Marino and Bernini, seeking to discover the remarkable imitative quality sculpture reinterprets the ancient myth is not his view Gorgon turns enemies into stone, but the Medusa, which catches the fatal mistake of his image in an imaginary mirror, literally before our eyes into a marble. For Medusa Bernini - a refined baroque metaphor of sculpture, its high qualities and sculpture, which has the power to get petrified with surprise those who are able to come to the delight of the extraordinary skill of his chisel.

"Head of Medusa" by Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini - one of the masterpieces of Baroque art, which in its fullness of life and aesthetic principles in many respects close to our time.

http://www.arts-museum.ru/events/arc...nini/index.php

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Raphael (1483-1520), one of the greatest masters of the Renaissance.

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His name has become legendary in his lifetime, his contemporaries called him "the divine Sanzio," and his art - a clear embodiment of harmony, balance, purity of style. Raphael, as a true son of the Renaissance, was a versatile artist: an architect, painter, draftsman, a master of monumental painting. Of particular notoriety he gained as a portraitist. He created such paintings as "Saint Sebastian" (Pinacoteca Carrara Academy, Bergamo, Italy), "Portrait of Baldassare Castiglione" (Louvre, Paris), the portrait of "Pope Julius II» (London National Gallery), as well as unforgettable images of women , captured in pictures depicting the Madonna: "Madonna and scheglenkom" (Uffizi, Florence), "Madonna with the fish" (Prado, Madrid), "The Sistine Madonna" (Art Gallery, Dresden), etc.
It is a genre of the portrait is a masterpiece - "The Lady with the Unicorn" (1505 - 1506), which has a very difficult destiny. In 1897, Giovanni Morelli, first introduced the masterpiece that is stored in the Galleria Borghese, in the tradition of art history, but she found the name of Raphael's later, in the XX century, thanks to the remarkable intuition of Roberto Longhi. In the 1930s, were found later recordings, which opened the complex process of distortion created by Raphael original image. Interestingly, for the study of this painting for the first time in the history of X-ray was used. Restoration of the painting allow him to return the masterpiece authentic look.
Portrait of "Lady with the Unicorn" was written by the artist during his stay in Florence. He created the image of a young beautiful woman full of charm and purity of youth. This impression is also connected with the mysterious beast to its knees - a unicorn, a symbol of female chastity. Stranger, illustrated by Raphael, is in complete harmony with the surrounding world. Of particular interest is the work of Raphael is the fact that it is a kind of dialogue with the artist Leonardo da Vinci, who lived in those years in Florence and just finished his famous "Portrait of the Mona Lisa," who could not make an impression on the young artist. Rafael followed by a brilliant master of placing your model in the space of a landscape, the division plane of the picture on separate zones. He uses the lessons of Leonardo, a new ranking model depicted the portrait of a dialogue with the viewer, creating a new imagery and other mundane level of existence is not the heroine, thus raising the portrait of a new, previously unknown level of generality.
However, referring to the brilliant discoveries of his contemporary, Raphael, creates a new type of Renaissance portraiture. Plays an enormous role in his portrait of color solutions. Glorified 'sfumato' (Italian sfumato-shaded, literally - disappearing like smoke), Rafael Leonardo opposes a colorful palette, based on a gradation of pure light color, and gives the landscape a clear transparency, which emphasizes the purity and integrity shown in the background of the female image. Plastic expressive portrait of a willful strengthens top heroine portrait of the "Lady with the Unicorn," in contrast to Leonardo's Mona Lisa with her complex inner world, rather, remains a mystery to the viewer.