London's National Gallery presents a ticketed exhibition: Leonardo da Vinci: Painter at the Court of Milan. The display focuses primarily on Leonardo da Vinci's (1452-1519) work as court painter to the Duke of Milan, Ludovico Maria Sforza, during the 1480s and 1490s. Almost all of the artist's surviving paintings are featured in the presentation together with works by many of his collaborators. The display is curated by Luke Syson, Curator of Italian Paintings before 1500, and Head of Research at the National Gallery, with sponsorship from Credit Suisse.
Leonardo da Vinci: Painter at the Court of Milan is the world's first major exhibition to examine Leonardo's work as a painter rather than a draughtsman, scientist or inventor. The display reflects the wide range of his artistic output through more than 60 paintings and drawings, including studies in chalk, ink and metalpoint, as well as full-scale oil portraits and religious scenes.
The importance of this venture is reflected by the huge number of organisations who have loaned works, including the British Museum; the Royal Collection; the Courtauld Gallery; the Fitzwilliam Museum; the Ashmolean Museum, and the National Galleries of Scotland. International institutions, including the State Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg; Pinacoteca Vaticana, Vatican City; Musee du Louvre, Paris; Veneranda Biblioteca Ambrosiana Pinacoteca, Milan, have also lent priceless treasures.
Leonardo da Vinci – Highlights of the Exhibition
The display features most of Leonardo's well-known pieces including Virgin and Child (The Madonna of the Yarnwinder); Saint Jerome; Portrait of Cecilia Gallerani (The Lady with an Ermine); as well as the landscape The Rocky Ravine. The exhibition features numerous studies including The ventricles of the brain and the layers of the scalp. Of course, no Leonardo show would be complete without The Virgin of the Rocks and The Last Supper.
Two Versions of The Virgin of the Rocks
The exhibition includes two versions of Leonardo's The Virgin with the Infant Saint John adoring the Infant Christ accompanied by an Angel. In this painting, known simply as the Virgin of the Rocks, the Virgin is shown against a background of mountains, rocks, and water. One version comes from the National Gallery's own collection, and the other has been loaned by the Louvre Museum, Paris. The National Gallery's painting recently underwent an 18-month restoration project discussed in Leonardo da Vinci's Virgin of the Rocks at National Gallery.
The paintings are remarkably similar, as would be expected, but there are also many differences and having the two paintings in close proximity provides a unique opportunity for comparison.
The Last Supper
Other works in the exhibition include a full-scale copy of The Last Supper. In about 1493, Leonardo was commissioned to paint The Last Supper on a wall at Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan. The Last Supper was typical subject-matter for the decoration of refectories, although at the time of painting this hall was not used as a refectory. Leonardo's pupil, Giovanni Pietro Rizzoli, known as Giampietrino (active about 1508-1549), made an almost full-scale copy in 1520. Included in the exhibition is Leonardo's original study showing St Peter's arm twisted behind his back. Look closely at Giampietrino's copy: St Peter is the fourth from the left and his arm can clearly be seen twisted behind him as leans over Judas's shoulder. This is only known drapery study for the mural to survive.
Leonardo da Vinci: Painter at the Court of Milan – Exhibition Catalogue
To accompany the exhibition the National Gallery has released a fully illustrated catalogue by Luke Syson, with Larry Keith and Antonio Mazzotta, Minna Moore Ede, Scott Nethersole, Arturo Galansino and Per Rumberg. The 304-page publication is available in hardback and paperback.
Leonardo da Vinci: Painter at the Court of Milan will be on show from 9th November 2011 to 5th February 2012. Further details about the exhibition, publication, and all public events are available from the National Gallery.
Sources:
- The National Gallery
- Zollner, F., Leonardo da Vinci: The Complete Paintings and Drawings, Taschen GmbH, 2007
Frances Spiegel - Frances Spiegel, B.A. Hons. (Open)., Dip.Eur.Hum., read Art History/European Modern History at the Open University.
