Veronese Exhibition @ National Gallery

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by Bryony Harrison (subscribe)

Freelance writer and poet from London; if you would like to read my poetry, please check out my book, 'Poems on the Page', available from goo.gl/Ta4oAX.

Event: 19/03/2014 - 15/06/2014

Magnificence in Renaissance Venice

'The Adoration of Kings' by Paolo Veronese, 1573

I can't help but feel that using the word 'magnificence' to describe an exhibition about the Renaissance is somewhat redundant. What else would one expect from an era expanding its social, political, scientific, creative boundaries?

Still, I suppose the title would not have quite the same grandeur without it. And besides, The National Gallery isn't looking at the Magnificence of Renaissance Venice as a whole, but focussing in on one very specific subject, the magnificence of Paolo Veronese. Born Paolo Caliari, the sixteenth century artist from Verona moved to Venice in the 1550s, where he was heavily influenced by the colourful portraits and mythological paintings of Titian. This can be seen in his use of vibrant red, blue, and gold.

The National Gallery own ten of Veronese's works, and for this exhibition, have been loaned works from European and American museums to form a collection of fifty paintings. These include The Four Allegories of Love, which is a group of four paintings originally commissioned by Emperor Rudolf II to fit on the ceiling of his castle in Prague. Each painting focusses on a different aspect of love: scorn, unfaithfulness, respect, and happy union.

Standard bookings to the exhibition are £17 with concessionary tickets available for seniors, students, and jobseekers. It will be open from 19th March - 15th June, with many free talks to attend. There will also be workshops and courses:

Who Was Veronese?
8th April, taster, £10

Veronese and the Renaissance Body
10th & 11th April, two-day life class, £75

The Age of Veronese: Art and Interiors
1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd May, course, £150