Anton van Dyck, the Flemish
master who revolutionized portrait painting, is the protagonist
of an exhibit on November 16-March 17 at Turin's Galleria
Sabauda.
The show, called 'Van Dyck, pittore di corte' (Van Dyck,
court painter), showcases 45 paintings and 21 etchings of the
artist whose work was described by Charles I of England as
giving an insight into 1600s courts, "discovering the ambitions"
of its protagonists.
Organized by the Musei Reali (Royal Museums) of Turin and by
the Arthemisia Group with the patronage of the Piedmont region
and the City of Turin, the exhibit showcases masterworks across
the painter's career, from his training to the collaboration
with Peter Paul Rubens, until his years in London.
Van Dyck's life and artistic activity was connected to the
main courts of Italy and Europe of which he became the official
painter - an exclusive relationship at the forefront of the
show.
Characterized by great formal perfection as well as the
natural and spontaneous nature of his portraits, the artist's
work focused on the ruling class of the time, from Prince
Emanuele Filiberto di Savoia to Charles I and Mary Stuart and
William II, Prince of Orange, a painting that ends the exhibit.
Other important works at the exhibit include paintings
dedicated to myths such as Venus, very much in fashion at the
time.
Enrica Pagella, the director of the Royal Museums in Turin,
said the project for the show started over a year and a half ago
and was "conceived to start valorizing a group of paintings at
the Galleria Sabauda".
"Along with representing the art of a great artist, this show
is about the history of a royal family that succeeded in
building a great museum".
The four sections of the exhibit open with a focus on the
training of the great artist and his relationship with Rubens,
including some of his paintings such as Susanna and the Elders.
The second part is dedicated to van Dyck's activity in Italy,
where the artist worked on a new form of portrait painting and
created an elegant language by studying the work of local
artists, in particular Titian and Veneto painters.
The years spent in Antwerp come next, at the court of
Archduchess Isabella Clara Eugenia, where he replaced Rubens.
Thirteen paintings and eight incisions are on display in this
portion of the show.
The last section is dedicated to the artist's work at the
court of Charles I where he remained from 1632 until his death
nine years later.
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