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Raphael - Portrait of Baldassarre Castiglione (1515-1516)

on August 05, 2020

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Peter BLAKE - On the balcony (1955-1957)

On the balcony 1955-1957 Oil painting on canvas (121x91 cm) Tate Gallery, London ******* The figures sitting on a park bench are surrounded by four paintings by some of Blake's companions and various commercial objects, including packets of cigarettes, newspapers and food packages. The structure of the painting is very simple and the attention to perspective is somewhat lacking; the real interest is to be found in the attention to the representation of the objects, which are the most important elements of the composition. At the time of its creation it was considered Blake's masterpiece for its strong visual impact and now communicates the full sense of cultural growth in the 1950s, putting the observer in front of a messy crowd of popular images. This representation of commercial objects paved the way for another great artistic movement: Pop Art. In the 1970s, Blake moved towards a more naturalistic style and by 1975 he also became a founding member of the Brotherhood of Rur...

Anton Raphael Mengs - Perseus and Andromeda (1774-1777)

The inspiration perhaps came from a cameo of Mengs' wife, now preserved in the egrmitage. Apotheosis of the Roman collections. Andromeda is the reproduction of a relief from the Doria Panphili collection in Rome. Perseus is inspired by the Apollo of the Belvedere of Villa Albani. Fiero indicates the sea monster killed to free the beautiful Andromeda. Cupid with his torch leaves the stage, already aware of having done his duty.

Michelangelo Buonarroti - Crouching Boy (1530-1534)

Perhaps it was to be added to the Medici Funeral Chapel, perhaps it was a separate work. A certainty: Michelangelo transmits all his strength to the works and this (like others of the author) seems ready to move. An unfinished still not very incisive and cheeky but present. Marble comes to life, not only form, when it is modeled by Michelangelo.

Nicolas Poussin - Landscape with Polyphemus (1649)

An apparent, banal landscape. Art History is full of it. But nobody has the mythical, historical and mythological charm of this. Nicolas Poussin's painting is mythological. Mythical figures hidden in the bushes. A Polyphemus who seems an integral part of the mountain. Without a doubt we are faced with a vision and an invitation. We live in a world that is formed on the myth, let's see it in everyday life. They are not simple stories, it is the explanation of our being.

BALTHUS - Girl and cat (1937)

Girl and cat 1937 Oil on the table (88x78 cm) Private collection ******* To create a painting, one does not necessarily have to resort to majestic scenes. Here we are faced with a moment of daily simplicity: a seated teenager, the lonely and desolate darkness of a room, a placid cat. The picture, however, has something disturbing: the girl does not seem to have that innocence typical of her age but she is more sensual than one would expect. Balthus was not satisfied with portraying a person and an animal in one place; wanted to do much more: he portrayed that moment of transition that everyone has experienced in which he passes from the innocent childhood age (of which the cat is an echo, for the many hours spent playing and the daydreams that lead us to talking to animals) to adulthood. It is no coincidence that the light falls unequivocally on the girl's legs. Balthus never studied at the academy but this did not prevent him from deepening the work of artists such as Pierre Bon...

Fra' BARTOLOMEO - Resurrection of Christ and saints (1516)

Resurrection of Christ and saints 1516 Oil painting on canvas (284x204 cm) Palazzo Pitti, Florence ******* This painting is characterized by a strong dynamic sense, infused by the drapery, the raised arm of Christ, the arms and heads of the saints pointing and turning. The figure of Christ is imposing in the construction of the picture, an aspect due to convey to the observer a profound sense of adoration and contemplation. Baccio della Porta studied painting in Florence, the city where he met and suffered the strong influence of Savonarola, after whose death he decided to join the Dominican order and take the name of Fra 'Bartolomeo. It seems that he too reacted in the manner of Botticelli, burning all his previous paintings in which there were nudes; these facts can be attributed to Savonarola and his ability to manipulate weak minds like those of the two artists. Fra 'Bartolomeo could boast the presence of Michelangelo and Raphael in his group of friends. His art took shap...

Jacopo AMIGONI - Juno receives the head of Argos (about 1730)

Juno receives the head of Argos 1730 circa Oil painting on canvas (296x305 cm) Moor Park, Rickmansworth ******* Jupiter has to hide Io from his wife's anger, for this he transforms her into a heifer. Unaware, Juno entrusts the heifer / Io to the care of Argos with a hundred eyes. Jupiter cannot accept being too far from beloved Io and asks Mercury to free her from the custody of Argos and to do this she must kill the giant. Juno decides to put the giant's hundred eyes on the tail of the animal sacred to her: the peacock. Jacopo Amigoni immortalizes the moment when Juno receives the giant's head. His brushstrokes are soft and sensual, the colors bright and the lines very (perhaps too much) graceful: all this to respect the balanced rules of Rococo. Amigoni achieved fame across the Channel and in Europe, like many of his contemporaries; his most valuable works are found in Covent Garden and Moor Park. According to some historical reconstructions, Jacopo Amigoni returning fr...