With works by some of the greatest names in European art, Of Heaven and Earth: 500 Years of Italian Painting from Glasgow Museums will examine 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 nineteenth century. The remarkable regional and historical breadth of the exhibition will also showcase the outstanding quality of Glasgow Museums’ collection.
Organized into five chronological sections, Of Heaven and Earth will include paintings originating from the principal artistic centers of Italy—Rome, Milan, Bologna, Florence, Siena, Naples, and Venice—and will present the works of artists such as Giovanni Bellini, Sandro Botticelli, Domenichino, Francesco Guardi, Salvator Rosa, and Titian alongside those of lesser-known masters. Many of these works are being conserved specifically in anticipation of this tour. The exhibition will highlight significant new research and discoveries relating to attribution, dates, provenance, infrared analysis, and the reconstruction of fragmented altarpieces.
The accompanying catalogue will feature essays on Glasgow’s collections and the museum’s Italian paintings by Guest Curator Peter Humfrey, an internationally renowned spet in Italian art history recently retired from teaching at the University of St. Andrews.
Exhibition itinerary: Oklahoma City Museum of Art (August 24–November 17, 2013); Art Gallery of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada (December 13, 2013–March 9, 2014); Everson Museum of Art, Syracuse, NY (April 17–July 13, 2014); Milwaukee Art Museum (October 1, 2014–January 4, 2015); and Santa Barbara Museum of Art (February 6, 2015–May 3, 2015).
The exhibition is organized by the American Federation of Arts and Glasgow Museums. The exhibition tour is generously supported by the JFM Foundation and the Donald and Maria Cox Charitable Fund. In-kind support is provided by Barbara and Richard S. Lane and Christie’s.
The Oklahoma City Museum of Art and American Federation of Arts are pleased to participate in the 2013 Year of Italian Culture, which celebrates Italian cultural and scientific legacies in the United States.
