Jacopo Bassano at Bassano del Grappa
Celebrating the 500th anniversary of the birth of its most famous son, the town of Bassano del Grappa is holding the exhibition “Jacopo Bassano e lo stupendo inganno dell’occhio” [“Jacopo Bassano and the Wonderful Deception of the Eye”] in its Civic Museum.
Jacopo Bassano [c. 1510 – 1592] also known as Jacopo Da Ponte, adopted the name of his town and was one of the most famous painters in the Veneto in the second half of the sixteenth century. He is second only to Caravaggio in his depiction of realism.
The exhibition shows works from Bassano’s early and late periods and works are on loan from other parts of Europe and from America. Some of these have never been exhibited in Italy before and have not been shown to the public for half a century. Bassano is loved in his home town for his depiction of local scenes. This exhibition opens a three-year celebration of the artist in Bassano del Grappa.
Jacopo Bassano e lo stupendo inganno dell’occhio is at the Museo Civico, Bassano del Grappa, until 13th June.
Giovanni Battista Cima at Conegliano
The town of Coneglaino is proud to be exhibiting a superb collection of paintings by Giovanni Basta Cima, also known as Cima da Conegliano, thanks to works on loan from London, Washington, Lisbon, Paris and major centres of art throughout Italy.
Visitors will be able to see large altar pieces, wedding chests and paintings of religious and mythological scenes. Conegliano’s Palazzo Sarcinelli has been especially restored for the occasion and the curators are happy that the paintings have “come home”.
Poeta del Paesaggio is at the Palazzo Sarcinelli, Conegliano, until 2nd June.
Giorgione at Castelfranco Veneto
Marking 500 years since the death of Giorgione, this exhibition displays the artist’s early works in his home town for the first time. Again, many of the works are on loan from other museums, such as the Hermitage in St Petersburg, the Louvre, The Pinacoteca Ambrosiana in Milan and London’s National Gallery.
Giorgione’s life is shrouded in mystery and what little we know we mostly know from Vasari, who first gives the artist’s year of birth as 1477 and later corrects this to 1478. We know from the correspondence of Isabella D’Este that Giorgione died in 1510. From a Venetain nobleman called Marcantonio Michiel we learn of paintings by Giorgione adorning the homes of the Venetian collectors. Vasari says that Giorgione was Titian’s master but other sources say that he was a pupil of Bellini. Vasari also tells us that the artist met da Vinci in 1500 .
Giorgione painted altar pieces, Madonnas, portraits and pictures that, unusually for the time, seemed to tell no story. The curators of the exhibition hope that the works on display will help art lovers to understand this mysterious painter.
Giorgione is at the Museo Casa Giorgione Castelfranco Veneto until 11th April. Note: This exhibition is sold out. Visitors to the town can still admire Giorgione’s work in the Cathedral but entrance to the exhibition cannot be guaranteed for those who have not already booked their tickets.
