The Bai'etan Greater Bay Area Art Center, incorporating the Guangdong Museum of Art, Guangdong Intangible Cultural Heritage Exhibition Center, and Guangdong Literature Museum, will officially open to the public on May 1st. One of the highlights at the Guangdong Museum of Art (Bai'etan) is the "Timeless Verses –Renaissance and Baroque Masterpieces from the Galleria Borghese" exhibition.
At the opening, visitors can enjoy the exhibition for free for a limited time, with tickets available online or special tickets purchased at the venue.
Wang Shaoqiang, the director of the Guangdong Museum of Art, introduced that the exhibition features 55 original works by masters such as Raphael, Rubens, Titian, and Lotto from Italy and Northern Europe of the 16th and 17th centuries.
The collection from Galleria Borghese, boasting over fifty masterpieces by artists including Raphael, Rubens, and Titian, is a highlight. The exhibition is divided into four sections: "Mythology and Ancient Art", "Faith in History", "Nature and Scenery", and "Social Life and Portraits", revealing the relationship between humans and gods, nature, and society from different perspectives.
Francesca Cappelletti, director of the Galleria Borghese, notes that Raphael, one of the "three masters of the Renaissance", is renowned for his soft main tones and exquisite use of light. Rubens is celebrated as one of the most important painters in Western art history, epitomizing the peak of the Baroque style. Titian, a key figure of the Venetian school, profoundly influenced Western art with his approach to color. The classic masterpieces of these masters have been presenting glorious chapters of art from the Renaissance to the Baroque through hundreds of years.
The Renaissance, originating in Florence, was a groundbreaking period in the 15th and 16th centuries that spearheaded modern European civilization while passionately preserving classical traditions.
Fan Lin, a professor from the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts as well as the joint curator, believes that artists of this era blended the "idealized beauty" of the Greeks with the grandeur of the Romans. Northern European painters from Flanders, Dutch, portrayed people and landscapes in a more vivid way, which evolved into more distinct styles in the 17th century.
"From the Renaissance to the Baroque, these periods were rich in depth, cultural transformation, and prevailing attitudes towards time and space", says Fan Lin. "Artists depicted stories and evoked emotions, inviting viewers into a dialogue with ancient works, creating a visual interaction."
Fan Lin also focuses on the relationship between the artworks and the space. He believes that the exhibition space is intended to emphasize the life of art itself. "Through this exhibition, we hope to help viewers better understand the wisdom with which these master artists managed heritage and innovation", she states.
Source: Yangcheng Evening News
