"Six Hundred Years of Masterpieces: Masterpieces from the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum" is on display at the Pudong Art Museum in Shanghai, presenting the "History of Western Painting" from the Renaissance to post-war European and American art from the Renaissance to the post-war European and American art with 70 classic Western paintings from the collection of the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum in Spain (hereinafter referred to as "Thyssen Museum").
"The Paper Art Review" specially interprets the key works.
View of the exhibition "Six Hundred Years of Masterpieces: Masterpieces from the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum"
The exhibition shows the development of Western art from the 15th century to the 20th century, covering many important art schools, including Renaissance, Mannerism, Baroque, Rococo, Romanticism, Realism, Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, Expressionism, Cubism, Futurism, Russian Avant-garde, American Modernism, Amorphous Art, Pop Art, American Realism, etc.
Raphael and his assistant Portrait of a Young Man
Raphael and his assistant Portrait of a Young Man circa 1518-1519, oil on wood, 43.8x29 cm, collection of the National Museum of Thyssen-Bonnemisza
Raphael was one of the most prominent artists of the Italian Renaissance. From 1504 to 1508, he traveled to Florence as a painter and architect, where he gradually learned about the works of Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, among others. Around 1508 he moved to Rome to begin work on the decoration of the Vatican Palace and subsequently participated in the reconstruction of St. Peter's Basilica. This late work is credited with the assistance of Raphael with the assistance of his closest collaborators, including such important artists as Giulio Romano. This delicate portrait depicts a bust of an adolescent man: he is sideways with his face facing the viewer. It has been suggested that the man in the painting is either Alessandro de' Medici, later Duke of Florence, or Pierre Luigi Farnese.
Rubens, Venus and Cupid
Peter Paul Rubens, Venus and Cupid, circa 1606-1611 Oil on canvas, 137x111 cm, collection of the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum
Peter Paul Rubens is not only considered the greatest Flemish painter of the 17th century, but also one of the artists who best embodies the ideal model of the Baroque in his paintings. His work is known for the tension and rich colors created by the dizzying movement of brushstrokes, a style inherited from Renaissance masters such as Titian and Veronese. This mythological work is an outstanding example of the vibrant and abundant beauty of Rubens' narrative paintings, while also showing his freedom in depicting female figures. In an intimate room, Venus, the goddess of love, gazes at himself into the mirror in Cupid's hand, while the latter places his signature bow, arrow, and arrow barrel at his feet. Legend has it that she was accidentally shot by her son Cupid, a golden arrow decorated with pigeon feathers. These arrows immediately awaken love, and this wound also triggers Venus's love for Adonis. The design of the picture is reminiscent of a painting by Titian, the original of which was once in the collection of the Spanish royal family and has now been lost. Rubens himself was an admirer of Titian, copying and recreating many of his works, which are now in the collections of major art museums.
Leisdahl, "The Road Through Farmland Near Zuiderzee"
Jacob Isakson van Leizdahl, The Road through the Farmland near Zuiderzee, circa 1660-1662, oil on canvas, 44.8x54.6 cm, collection of the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum
Jacob Isaacson van Leisdal was one of the representatives of Dutch landscape painting in the 17th century and had a profound influence on later generations. He seeks to use the sky to set off the stark contours of the elements, juxtaposing light and shadow to create majestic works. Leizdahl paid particular attention to the sky, creating a series of works on the theme of clouds. At different stages of his career, the artist depicted the landscape of cultivated land in different ways. Some of the landscapes he depicted are located by the sea, others on the banks of streams, and there are grain fields such as those shown in this work. In the foreground, the quiet path leading to the village creates a perspective effect, and the towers of the village in the distance are clearly visible. Although not officially confirmed, it is generally believed to be a village near the Zuiderzee (formerly a bay in the North Sea) in Naelden, the Netherlands. The artist masterfully manipulated the light, alternating shaded areas with the illuminated areas, and these contrasts gave poetry to the natural landscape.
Canaletto View of the Grand Canal from Venice San Vio
Canaletto (Giovanni Antonio Cannal), View of the Grand Canal from San Vio in Venice, circa 1723-1724, oil on canvas, 140.5x204.5 cm, collection of the National Museum of Thyssen-Bornemisza
Canaletto's depiction of 18th-century Venice, also known as "landscape painting", presents the city's landmarks and aspects of everyday Venetian life from a broad topographical perspective. The paintings were sought after by travelers who were keen on "Grand Tours" at the time, and were purchased as souvenirs. "Grand tour" refers to the travel of British aristocrats to cities in various European countries, especially Italy and France. The painting is one of four works in a series. Two of the four paintings are in the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum, while the other two are in the collection of the Palazzo Rezzonico Museum in Venice. The painting features a view of the Grand Canal leading to Piazza San Marco in the background, with Palazzo Barbarigo in the foreground on the right, the dome of the Church of Our Lady of Ancon and the Customs House Museum in the background. On the left side of the picture, the artist depicts in detail the Grand Cornell Palace. This work shows two main characteristics of Canaletto: high viewing angle and superb painting skills.
Courbet, "The Stream"
Gustave Courbet, Streams, 1866, oil on canvas, 114x89 cm, collection of the National Museum of Thyssen-Bornemisza
Courbet declared himself anti-academic, progressive, and social. He believes neither in the only beauty nor in the sublime, but in encounters with nature as his only source of inspiration.
The subject of the picture is a creek near Orr, France. Similar to the other scenes chosen by Courbet, it is a famous tourist attraction in his hometown of Franche-Comté. The painting depicts a wooded, rocky strip of natural waters known as the Kuroi. In this work, Courbet meticulously studies the effect of sunlight passing through the branches of trees and spilling on the surface of the pond, conveying the atmosphere of the area. He applied thickly to the surface with a brush dipped in paint, and even used an oil knife to apply the paint in some places. The result is a rustic, crude but vibrant image, with a material nature close to the natural elements he depicts.
In 1866, Napoleon III added a landscape painting of the Franche-Comté region to his collection, thus raising the profile of Courbet's series depicting the region.
Manet, The Female Knight
Edouard Manet, The Female Knight, circa 1882, oil on canvas, 73x52 cm, collection of the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum
First Manet, then the Impressionists, who followed the path pioneered by Courbet to paint the real world and turn to a new exploration inspired by instantaneous perception. The casual, lively atmosphere created by the freer pen technique is evident in the picture of "The Female Knight".
Manet's depiction of women's clothing is in line with Baudelaire's view of fashion as a key element of modernity. The female knight was heroic, and the riding clothes on her body may have been borrowed by Manet from his painter friend Galad de Epinai. The black fabric allowed Manet to exert his extraordinary power towards black. The artist's use of light can be classified as an impressionist approach, but the pursuit of brightness in his works is also closely related to his research on color surfaces, contours, lines and textures. The fact that the work is not yet completed allows the viewer to clearly see Manet's confidence in creating this painting without hesitation, while also demonstrating the artist's skill in capturing and transmitting the core elements.
Chase "The Girl in Kimono"
William Merritt Chase, The Girl in a Kimono, circa 1887, oil on canvas, 89.5x115 cm, collection of the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum
In the mid-19th century, as Japan opened its doors to the world and trade routes expanded, Japanese winds quickly spread throughout Europe and the United States. In the 80s of the 19th century, Chase created a series of "kimono portraits" depicting relatives and friends, including this "Girl in Kimono".
Chase's interest in the East may stem from his friendship with Japanese art dealer Hiromichi, who lives in the United States and has a large collection of East Asian art. Chase himself built his own collection and used it in his work.
The woman in Chase's painting, not only dressed in a silk kimono, as the title suggests, sits on a low bamboo chair and studies a series of Japanese prints, with a screen of oriental colors behind her. The upward angle of view and the asymmetrical composition are also related to the influence of photography. Chase's attention to creating mysterious and subtle atmospheres and adjusting the light in this painting makes him a well-deserved pioneer of American Impressionism.
Van Gogh's "The Stevedore of Arles"
Vincent van Gogh, The Stevedore of Arles, 1888, oil on canvas, 54x65 cm, collection of the Musée Nacional de Thyssen-Bonnemisza
Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh is one of the leading exponents of Post-Impressionism. Van Gogh came to Arles in February 1888, and in search of the bright scenery of the south of France, he abandoned the pointillism and impressionist methods in favor of more comprehensive forms of expression and brighter colors. In this contrasting color, The Stevedore of Arles, the artist uses heavy, elongated brushstrokes.
In a letter to his brother Theo in early August 1888, Van Gogh described the scene that inspired him to paint The Stevedore of Arles in his studio from memory: "On the Rhône, a large ship laden with coal docks at the dock. From above, everything was drenched and sparkled by the rain; The water is a yellowish white, covered with a layer of pearl gray; The sky is lilac with a touch of orange to the west; Towns are violet. On board, some poor workers came and went in dirty blue and white clothes, carrying goods ashore. This is exactly the picture of Katsushika Hokusai. ”
Léger "The Disc"
Fernand Léger, The Disc, 1918, Oil on canvas, collection of the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum
Like many other artists of his time, the experience of conscription during World War I was not only important for Fernand Léger's spirit had a major influence and gradually drove him away from abstract painting and back to focus on real objects. However, the process of returning to realism did not happen immediately, and when he spent a long period of recovery in a Paris hospital and returned to painting, Léger began a series of works focused on presenting the shape of discs.
The Disc was created in October 1918, about a month before the signing of the Armistice at Kangbien, and may be related to two other war-themed works by the artist. However, although some elements that reproduce the fluttering of the flag and the colors can be seen in the picture, Léger does not intend the disc to represent anything concrete, it is merely the subject of the picture in the form of color and flatness.
Chagall's Madonna of the Countryside
Mark · Chagall, Our Lady of the Country, 1938-1942, oil on canvas, collection of the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum
During the Holocaust, Chagall created many paintings with similar scenes. He began painting this Madonna of the Countryside from the Thyssen-Bornemisza collection in 1938. In 1940, Chagall continued to work on the magnificent painting and repainted parts of the picture, fleeing the looming Nazi forces in France. The painting was not fully completed until 1942, when he took refuge in New York.
The final composition presents the Virgin in her arms, surrounded by angels singing and playing, and a cow flying in the air to play the violin. The scene of the painting is set near a small village. Our Lady dressed in a bridal dress appears in a massive image floating in a dreamy world full of Chagall's unique style.
O'Keeffe's From the Great Plains II
Georgia O'Keeffe, From the Great Plains II, 1954, oil on canvas, collection of the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum
From the Great Plains II is the second edition of Georgia O'Keeffe's original work completed in Amarillo, Texas in 1919. In the first edition, O'Keeffe wanted to present the fascinating sight she felt when she saw herds of cattle flocking across this vast arid plain: they kicked up dust and caused a deafening bustle.
In this second work, the size of the canvas and the blazing colors of the setting sun make the vast plains of Texas look even more majestic. In a letter to the dealer, the artist described it this way: "The colors are just squeezed out of the paint tube, from red and orange to lemon yellow, and I am shocked, I don't know what it will become." She simplifies the picture to the extreme, presenting the visual experience of the sunset in memory.
From 1929, her fascination with light led the artist to live long away from New York in the colorful state of New Mexico, where she settled permanently from 1949. Being in these remote areas makes the shaping of light more and more vivid in his paintings. At the same time, O'Keeffe's canvases grew in size to reflect the grandeur of the desert landscape.
Note: The exhibition will last until November 12, and this article is provided by Pudong Art Museum.