Geniuses of the Renaissance: Italian Art in Georgia

The Georgian National Museum (GNM) and the Embassy of Italy to Georgia, are presenting the art exhibition "Geniuses of Renaissance" from 25 May to 26 August 2018. Under the banner of the Museum Fest, the GNM National Gallery will host Renaissance masterpieces from the Royal Library of Turin, Italy.

A drawing is a reflection of how ideas are processed in any representational form. With the new access to paper and the recognition of the artist’s role, drawing began to have success in post-medieval Europe. The 15th century treatises on art emphasized the importance of drawings and advised artists to apply these techniques. Drawing allows artists to follow their intuition, to have deeper insights into a landscape or human body. During the Renaissance, a sketch was sought after by collectors as a pure reflection of an artist’s style. Some of the drawings in this exhibition still have stamps of inscriptions proving that the work belonged to an Italian or European collector. In the 18^thcentury, in Paris and London, interest in drawings grew. Despite the fact that inscriptions on the drawings often indicate (sometimes incorrectly) their provenance, they illustrate the development of artistic-historical knowledge and taste.

An extremely important collection of drawings, created as a consequence of the cultural policy of King Carlo Albert of Sardinia, is kept in the Royal Library of Turin. The Royal Gallery (presently the Sabauda Gallery) opened in 1832 and the Armeria Reale opened in 1837. To enrich museum collections, In 1839 the King obtained drawings belonging to Giovanni Volpato (1797-1871) that had previously been scattered within various Italian and foreign collections and later sold in the antique market in Paris. 

Apart from works by Flemish and Dutch artists, Volpato's collection contained pieces of Italian art (from Renaissance to Neo-Classical epoch), including Leonardo da Vinci's unique series. Nowadays, the collection is preserved in the Royal Library, which is part of the Royal Museums union.

The exhibition in Tbilisi, Georgia, showcases graphic works of the following artists: Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo Buonarroti, Raphael Sanzio, Sandro Botticelli, Giorgio Vasari, Bernardino Pinturicchio, Andrea Mantegna, Giulio Romano, Antonio Pollaiolo, Luca Signorelli, Vittore Carpaccio, Bramantino (Bartolomeo Suardi), Bartolomeo Montagna, Pietro Perugino (Pietro di CristoforoVannucci), Gaudenzio Ferrari, Piero di Cosimo, Fra Bartolomeo (Della Porta), Parmigianino (Francesco Mazzola), Raffaellino del Garbo, Giovanni Antonio Sogliani, Bernardino Luini , Baccio Bandinelli, Bernardino Lanino, Rosso Fiorentino, Francesco Salviati (Francesco de' Rossi), Andrea del Sarto, Federico Zuccaro, Girolamo da Carpi, Francesco Primaticcio, Federico Barocci, Annibale Carracci, Giulio Angolo del Moro, Giacomo Palma il Giovane and the School of Paolo Veronese.

The exhibition offers examples of Tuscan and Venetian Renaissance paintings, Raphael’s drawings, dating from the early period of his creative activity, the works of his best pupils, drawings by Michelangelo, and others. Particularly noteworthy are drawings from Girolamo da Carpi, from his pocket notebook. 

This project is the result of close cooperation between the Italian Embassy and the Georgian National Museum and is implemented under the Georgian government project Check-in-Georgia. This initiative is supported by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the program "VivereALL'Italiana". This initiative is also supported by the Ministry of Culture and Sport of Georgia, Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia, and the Georgian National Tourism Administration.

Leonardo da Vinci, Sketch of the Muscle of Horses' Front Legs,  Circa 1480

Vittore Carpaccio, Two Holy Martyrs, second-half 15th century 

Sandro Botticelli, Death of Saint Marine, last quarter 15th century

Bernardino Pinturicchio,  Figure of a Woman, 15th century 

Gaudenzio Ferrari, Saint Augustine and Saint Jeronimo, end of 15th century 

Raffaello del Garbo, Saint Giovanino, first quarter  16th century 

Giulio Romano, Mystical Marriage of Saint Catherine, first half 16th century  

Frederico Barocci, Sketch of an Adolescent's Head,  16th century prior to 1569 

Michelangelo Buonarroti, Anatomic Sketch of Muscles, 16th century 

Giorgio Vasari, Pope Blesses Crusader, 16th century

Sandro Botticelli, Saint Peter on the Throne, last quarter 15th century

Luca Signorelli, Christ in the Sarcophagus, 15th century 

Piero di Cosimo, Old Man's Head, beginning of 16th century 

Annibale Carracci, Leda and the Swan, end of 16th century 

Andrea Mantegna, Goddess Adorns a Pillar with a Female Image with Wreath, beginning 16th century 

MARTINA NICOLLSis an international aid and development consultant, and the authorof:- Similar But Different in the Animal Kingdom(2017), The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009).