The exhibition, “Titian and the Golden Age of Venetian Painting: Masterpieces from the National Galleries of Scotland” opened at the High Museum of Art this month on Saturday, October 16, and GMOA’s Board of Advisors viewed it yesterday while having their meeting in Atlanta.
Featuring 12 paintings and 13 drawings by artists of the time, the exhibition highlights the work of Venetian Renaissance master Tiziano Vecellio, known as Titian.
Best known for his Diana series, Titian engages his masterful use of light and distinctive brushstroke to tell the story of the ancient Roman goddess. The exhibition features two of these famous paintings, “Diana and Actaeon” and “Diana and Callisto.” Both were painted between 1556 and 1559 for King Philip II of Spain and are part of a six-painting series.
“These really are two of the greatest paintings anywhere on the planet," said Michael Clarke, director of the National Galleries of Scotland.
In addition to four paintings by Titian (the Diana paintings are flanked by two smaller works), the exhibition also features several of his drawings. As Titian saw no value in drawings beyond rough drafts for his paintings, he made little effort to preserve them and very few survive today.
Many of the works evoke religious and mythological themes characteristic of the Venetian Golden Age, and several draw from stories in Ovid’s “Metamorphosis,” a very popular theme at the time. The exhibition will be on display at the High Museum of Art until January 2.
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