National Gallery of Art, Washington_Paintings Collection, The Masterpieces (2)

National Gallery of Art, Washington

Paintings Collection, The Masterpieces

(2)

EYCK, Jan vanThe Annunciationc. 1435Oil, transferred from wood to canvas, 93 x 37 cmNational Gallery of Art, Washington

EYCK, Jan vanThe Annunciation (detail)c. 1435Oil, transferred from wood to canvas, 93 x 37 cmNational Gallery of Art, Washington

RAFFAELLO SanzioThe Alba Madonna1511Oil on canvas, diameter 98 cmNational Gallery of Art, Washington

RAFFAELLO SanzioThe Alba Madonna (detail)1511Oil on canvas, diameter 98 cmNational Gallery of Art, Washington

ANGELICO, FraThe Adoration of the Magic. 1445Panel, diameter 137,4 cmNational Gallery of Art, Washington

ANGELICO, FraThe Adoration of the Magi (detail)c. 1445Panel, diameter 137,4 cmNational Gallery of Art, Washington

DUCCIO di BuoninsegnaThe Nativity between Prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel1308-11Tempera on wood, 48 x 87 cmNational Gallery of Art, Washington

DUCCIO di BuoninsegnaThe Nativity between Prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel (detail)1308-11Tempera on wood, 48 x 87 cmNational Gallery of Art, Washington

TIZIANO VecellioVenus with a Mirrorc. 1555Oil on canvas, 125 x 106 cmNational Gallery of Art, Washington

TIZIANO VecellioVenus with a Mirror (detail)c. 1555Oil on canvas, 125 x 106 cmNational Gallery of Art, Washington

National Gallery of Art, WashingtonPaintings Collection, The Masterpieces (2)

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TIZIANO VecellioVenus with a Mirror

At the core of Renaissance art is the revival of the classical past, and in his Venus with a Mirror, Titian revealed both his appreciation of antiquity and his remarkable modernity. During a sojourn in Rome he wrote that he was "learning from the marvelous ancient stones" that were being unearthed daily in the city. Indeed, he based the gesture of the

goddess, her hands held to her breast and lap, on a famous Roman statue of Venus that later belonged to the Medici.

Yet Titian breathed a warmth and life into the remote source to conjure a startlingly immediate and sensual modern Venus. Her pliant flesh seems to melt at the touch of the cupid who strains to bestow on her the crown of love. While she pulls about her a wine–colored velvet wrap lined in fur, soft, opulent, and evoking the sense of touch, Venus reveals her body as much as she conceals it. The beautiful woman gazing at her reflection is a favorite theme of Renaissance love poetry in which the writer envies the fortunate mirror that

enjoys his lady's splendid image.

EYCK, Jan vanThe Annunciation

The Annunciation described by Saint Luke is interpreted in terms of actuality in this painting, which was probably once the left wing of a triptych. The forms—even that of the archangel—seem to have weight and volume. Light and shadow play over them in a natural way, and with amazing skill, Jan van Eyck has distinguished between the textures of

materials ranging from hard, polished stone to the soft, fragile petals of flowers.

Yet religious symbolism speaks from every detail, expounding the significance of the Annunciation, and the relationship of the Old Testament to the New. The structure of the church can be interpreted symbolically; the dark upper story, with its single, stained–glass window of Jehovah, may refer to the former era of the Old Testament, while the

lower part of the building, already illuminated by the "Light of the World" and dominated by transparent, triple windows symbolizing the Trinity, may refer to the Era of Grace of the New Testament. The idea of passing from old to new is further manifested in the transition from the Romanesque round–arched windows of the upper story to the early

Gothic pointed arches of the lower zone, and also in the depictions on the floor tiles: David beheading Goliath and Samson destroying the Philistine temple are both Old Testament events in the salvation of the Jewish people which prefigure the salvation of humankind through the coming of Christ.

RAFFAELLO SanzioThe Alba Madonna

After four years in Florence, Raphael moved to Rome in 1508, probably to execute more significant commissions under the papal reign of Julius II. The major work in America from Raphael's Roman period is The Alba Madonna. In this "Madonna of Humility" the Virgin is seated directly on the ground instead of on a heavenly throne or a sumptuous cushion. The artist grouped the figures in a broad low pyramid, aligning them within a circle in such a way that they not only conform to their space, but dominate it as well. The tondo, or

round–format style, was popular in Florentine painting, and the influence of the Florentine masters Michelangelo and Leonardo is also apparent in the work.

The Alba Madonna shows the Roman style Raphael adapted, in the painting’s delicacy of color and mood, with figures draped in rose pink, pale blue, and green, set in an idealized, classical landscape. The Madonna is dressed in an antique costume of turban, sandals, and flowing robes. The serene, bucolic atmosphere of Raphael's tondo belies its

emotional meaning. The Christ Child's gesture of accepting the cross from the Baptist is the focus of attention of all three figures, as if they have foreknowledge of Christ's sacrifice for mankind.

ANGELICO, FraThe Adoration of the Magi

This brilliantly colored, richly decorated circular panel presents a splendid vision of the arrival of the Magi, accompanied by a courtly entourage. A 1492 inventory of Lorenzo de' Medici's estate possibly identifies this picture as the most valuable in the collection of the powerful Florentine family, and attributes it to Fra Angelico. The Adoration of the Magi

actually appears to be the product of two artists; Fra Angelico may only have started the altarpiece, the greatest part of the work having been taken up by Fra Filippo Lippi.

Fra Angelico was a Dominican known for his great monastic devotion; his saintly deportment is mirrored in the quiet piety of his paintings. The representation of the Virgin Mary here characterizes his style in the pure, simple form of her head and the gentle refinement of her features. Fra Filippo's earthy style appeals to the viewer in the portrayal of massive forms and well–articulated figures. In the Adoration, the richly attired wise men and their attendants, as well as the broad–faced Joseph beside the Virgin, are usually attributed to

him.

While several elements of the painting can be seen as symbolic—for example, the peacock was considered a symbol of immortality—the Adoration can also simply be appreciated for its sparkling color, delightful details, and festive gaiety.

DUCCIO di BuoninsegnaThe Nativity between Prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel

This work comes from the front predella, the separate horizontal band of narrative scenes at the base of the great Maestà altarpiece that depicts Mary, the patron saint of Siena, in majesty with angels and saints. A contract of 1308 states that the huge altarpiece for the cathedral of Siena was to be painted entirely by Duccio di Buoninsegna; it is probable,

however, that the artist took on assistants to help carry out the project.

In the Nativity, Duccio employed conventional Byzantine elements, such as the cave setting, the glowing colors, and the multi–scene composition. Mary is shown in the usual Byzantine manner — larger than the figures around her yet — her large size also underscores the importance the Virgin held for the Sienese. The bracketing side panels portray Old

Testament prophets holding scrolls that foretell the birth of Christ.

Duccio's unique contribution to the Byzantine style is his use of elegantly flowing lines, most evident here in the drapery folds and mountain ridges. The soft, undulating brushstrokes downplay the austerity of the earlier style, as do the sensitive rendering of the Virgin's face and the individual characterizations of Isaiah and Ezekiel, expressing a true

sense of human feeling.

National Gallery of Art, Washington

The National Gallery of Art is an American museum of art, part of the federally operated Smithsonian Institution system, located at the east end of the Mall, Washington, D.C. It was founded in 1937 when

the financier and philanthropist Andrew W. Mellon donated to the government a collection of paintings by European masters and a large sum of money to construct the gallery's Neoclassical building, which was designed by the architect John Russell Pope and opened in 1941. That structure came to be known

as the West Building after 1978, when it was connected by plaza and underground concourse to the new East Building, which was designed by I.M. Pei and Partners.

The National Gallery now houses a very extensive collection of European and American paintings, sculpture, decorative arts, and graphic works from the 12th to the 20th century. The museum has

especially rich holdings of works by Italian Renaissance painters, as well as by Dutch and Spanish Baroque and French Rococo artists.

National Gallery of Art, Washington_Paintings Collection, The Masterpieces (2)

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