Paris Bordon, Divin Pitor. From the National Gallery to the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, extraordinary masterpieces on display in Treviso
Still until January 15, 2023, Paris Bordon 1500-1571. Divine Painter illuminates the Santa Caterina Museum in Treviso. The exhibition, curated by Simone Facchinetti and Arturo Galansino, recounts the creativity and extraordinary quality of the “Divin Pitor” with masterpieces from the most prestigious museums in the world, including the National Gallery in London, the Louvre in Paris, the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, the Uffizi Galleries in Florence and the Vatican Museums.
Paris Bordon, “Divin Pitor”. We owe the famous Venetian historian Marco Boschini the appellation of divine painter, a privilege that was reserved only for two other artists, Raphael and Titian, of whom Bordon was a pupil. Extraordinary creativity and quality characterize the work of a central author in the history of art, although less recognized by other colleagues. In fact, the exhibition is the largest monograph ever held in Italy, with masterpieces gathered for the occasion from the most prestigious museums in the world, including the National Gallery in London, the Louvre in Paris, the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, the Uffizi Galleries in Florence and the Vatican Museums.
From sensual female portraits to mythological representations, from the sacred scenes of large altarpieces to small works intended for private devotion: it is Giorgio Vasari who considers Paris Bordon the only pupil of Titian worthy of attention, so much so that he dedicates him a long appendix in the biography of Vecellio in the 1568 edition of the Lives. There are no works and documents capable of clarifying the dates of his apprenticeship, but we certainly know that on 21 June 1518 Paris is indicated as «pictor habitator in Venetiis in contrata Sancti Iuliani». The young painter soon demonstrated a certain emancipation from the master, turning his interest to the new trends introduced by Palma il Vecchio and Pordenone. Portrait production also plays an important rolenot only in the exhibition but in the complete work of the painter: the oldest dated painting of its kind comes from the Alte Pinakothek in Munich and dates back to 1523, still influenced by the legacy of Giorgione, the model that inspired him once he left the workshop by Titian. However, with the subsequent portraits we see an emancipation from this in a more modern sense, from those inspired by Palma il Vecchio and Titian, to those differences from a sophisticated mannerism typical of the international climate in which they were conceived. Cold and glassy colours, mother-of-pearl complexions wrapped and caressed by iridescent and crumpled silk fabrics, out of the lagoon tradition. Among the numerous erotic subjects, the myth reveals the narration often through Flora and Berenice or women with marked androgynous traits; among the religious ones, the major commissions are for the Church of San Francesco in Noale with the monumental San Giorgio killing the dragon, from the Vatican Museums and exhibited after careful restoration; finally, among the architectural scenarios, the labyrinthine courtyard of the Annunciation of Caen touches an absolute peak.
To complete the visit to the exhibition, an itinerary of comparisons and cross-references is proposed, curated by the director of the city’s museums, Fabrizio Malachin, to rediscover masterpieces from the Pinacoteca of the Santa Caterina Museum or scattered throughout the Treviso and Veneto areas.
The production and organization are entrusted to Marsilio Arte, which publishes the catalog.
Simone Facchinetti is an associate professor at the University of Salento. He dealt with issues of Renaissance art history and the history of art criticism. He has curated several exhibitions, including Giovan Battista Moroni (2014-2015) and The Era of Giorgione (2016) at the Royal Academy of Arts in London, Giovanni Battista Moroni. The Richess of Renaissance Portraiture (2019) at the Frick Collection in New York.
Arturo Galansino he has been general manager of the Palazzo Strozzi Foundation in Florence since 2015. Art historian and curator, he works for international museums such as the Louvre in Paris, the National Gallery and the Royal Academy of Arts in London. He has curated several exhibitions ranging from Renaissance to contemporary art, including Giovan Battista Moroni (2014-2015), Rubens and His Legacy (2015) and The Era of Giorgione (2016) at the Royal Academy, Giovanni Battista Moroni. The Richess of Renaissance Portraiture (2019) at the Frick Collection in New York, Ai Weiwei. Libero (2016), Bill Viola. Electronic Renaissance (2017), Marina Abramovic. The Cleaner (2018) and Jeff Koons. Shine (2021-2022) at Palazzo Strozzi.
Paris Bordon 1500-1571
Divine painter
From 16 September 2022 to 15 January 2023