There are many mysteries in art history, but that surrounding
the life and works of Antonello da Messina is definitely one of the
most celebrated and complex. Information about his life is confused
(he was born somewhere between 1425 and 1431, and died in 1479), precise
dates are few and far between, theories concerning his formation are
contradictory. However, one thing is absolutely clear: Antonello was
an extraordinary painter, one of the greatest of his time. Once you
have seen one of his outstanding – tiny – portraits, you
will never forget it.
The ‘Antonello da Messina’ exhibition, scheduled at the
Scuderie del Quirinale from 18 March to 25 June 2006, is a unique event,
bringing together – for the first time in history – virtually
all of Antonello’s paintings that have come down to us.
Thanks to the extensive work done by an international group of specialists
and the Italian curator, Mauro Lucco, and to the generosity of some
of the world’s major museums, the Scuderie del Quirinale will
be displaying such undisputed masterpieces as St. Jerome in his Study
from the National Gallery in London; the celebrated crucifixions from
Antwerp and Sibiu (Romania); Christ at the Column from the Louvre; the
The Virgin and Child from London; and the St. Sebastian from Dresden.
The exhibition will also feature his famous portraits from Berlin, New
York, Baltimore, Washington and Madrid, his touching Madonnas, his Virgins
Annunciate, and his Ecce Homos that portray such supremely human agony.
These priceless works – all those that can be moved from their
sites – which made the Sicilian painter an artistic legend and
are on loan from abroad, from Sicily and various Italian museums, will
be juxtaposed with those of his contemporaries: Giovanni Bellini –
to evoke the pictorial climate of Antonello’s successful Venetian
period – Francesco Laurana, Giovan Battista Cima da Conegliano,
Petrus Christus, Jacometto Veneziano, Antonello da Saliba, Colantonio
and Alvise Vivarini, in order to show Antonello in relation to his time
and, where possible, to reconstruct his cultural milieu, his world and
his legacy.
The ‘Antonello da Messina’ exhibition, organized by the
Azienda Speciale Palaexpo and Zètema Progetto Cultura, is curated
by Mauro Lucco, Professor of Art History at the University of Bologna,
with the scientific coordination of Giovanni C.F. Villa of the University
of Bergamo and together with an international commitee of experts.
Download the Exhibition
Guide in English [PDF - 1.4Mb]
