The Vancouver Art Gallery is joining in on Italian Heritage Month with a sweeping main floor exhibition of Italian masters.
With works by some of the greatest names in European art, Of Heaven and Earth covers 500 years of Italian painting, and examines the thematic and stylistic developments in Italian art – from the religious paintings of the late Middle Ages and Renaissance to the secular neoclassical and genre paintings of the 19th century.
The 40-work exhibition, on loan from (of all places) Glasgow, Scotland, showcases outstanding works by Giovanni Bellini, Sandro Botticelli, Domenichino, Francesco Guardi and Titian alongside other lesser-known masters.
Of the interesting origins, VAG curator Ian Thom explains that the majority of the paintings came together through a wealthy Scottish art buyer named Archibald McLellan who bequeathed his personal collection to the City of Glasgow.
Organized into five chronological sections, Of Heaven and Earth includes paintings originating from the artistic centres of Rome, Milan, Bologna, Florence, Siena, Naples, and Venice, and reinforces the lasting impact of Italian painting on European art.
“The art of Italy from before the Renaissance right up until certainly the 18th century was one of the major forces in European art,” explains Thom. “Someone like Salvator Rosa, for example, became immensley popular in England in the 18th century and had huge impact on English painting, and eventually people like Turner, who greatly admired his work.”
Of Heaven and Earth: 500 Years of Italian Painting from Glasgow Museums runs June 12 to Oct. 4 at the Vancouver Art Gallery.
