(by Alessandra Baldini)
A Saint Jerome and a Saint
Agatha by Paolo Veronese have since Thursday been sharing a New
York City roof with two other monumental paintings by the
Italian Renaissance artist.
Recently restored, the two large paintings with elaborate
gilded frames had never before left Italy and will be exhibited
at the Frick Collection on Fifth Avenue.
"Veronese in Murano: Two Venetian Renaissance Masterpieces
Restored" focuses on two recently conserved and rarely seen
paintings by the celebrated artist Paolo Veronese (1528-1588),
'Saint Jerome in the Wilderness' and 'Saint Peter Visiting Saint
Agatha in Prison'.
The paintings are part of a five-painting commission - three
of which have been lost - ordered in the mid-sixteenth century
by an obscure Murano chaplain, Francesco Degli Arbori, to
decorate a small private church annexed to the St Mary of the
Angels monastery.
'Saint Jerome in the Wilderness' and 'Saint Peter Visiting
Saint Agatha in Prison' - with blood shown flowing from the
Catania saint's chest after being tortured - underwent a
year-long restoration by Claudia Vittori on behalf of Venetian
Heritage, sponsored by Bulgari.
In 1810, when St Mary of the Angels ceased to be used as a
place of worship due to Neapolitan repression, the two paintings
were transferred to the nearby San Pietro Martire church.
"They remained there, basically forgotten, both due to their
location outside of normal Venetian itineraries and because time
and poor restoration efforts darkened the bright colors," Frick
director Ian Wardropper said.
The New York exhibition, preceded by a similar one last year
at the Galleria dell'Accademia and followed in the spring by a
stop in New Orleans, is thus a unique chance for the
international public to come into contact with little-known
masterpieces.
"Everything began with a chance meeting at the Accademia with
Toto Bergamo Rossi from Venetian Heritage, a non-profit
organization created to raise awareness about Venetian artistic
heritage. He was the one to suggest bringing the paintings to
New York after their restoration," noted Xavier Solomon, the
Veronese specialist who curated the Frick exhibition.
The two paintings will later go back to their Murano home in
the San Pietro Martire church.
photo: Veronese's Penitent St Jerome
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