Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Art Masterpieces from Italy make their American Debut


At the Museum of Art

South Florida is the first in the nation to be amazed by an extraordinary exhibition - Offering of the Angels: Old Master Paintings and Tapestries from the Uffizi Gallery, November 19, 2011-Apri 8, 2012, at The Museum of Art in Fort Lauderdale, Nova Southeastern University. The Uffizi Gallery houses one of the world’s greatest Renaissance and Baroque art collections. Artists include Sandro Botticelli, Parmigianino, Alessandro Allori, Luca Giordano, and Lorenzo Monaco, among many others. The paintings and tapestries in the exhibition portray scenes from the Old Testament, including the Creation of Adam and the Expulsion from the Garden of Eden, as well as various events from the life of Christ.

The exhibition is coming to the U.S. through the efforts and encouragement of the Amici degli Uffizi, which was established in 1993 by a group of concerned Florentine citizens following a terrorist bombing which damaged the Gallery and some of its priceless artworks. Museum of Art Executive Director Irvin Lippman says, “Offering of the Angels brings to south Florida a wealth of old master paintings and tapestries that are rarely, if ever, seen in this region. We welcome the generosity of the Uffizi Gallery in allowing these treasures to travel here. The exhibition’s impressive works of art reflect, in their fullest expression, the high points of artistic achievement of Western civilization.”

Among the exhibition’s stellar paintings is the vivid Madonna and Child (ca. 1466-67) by Sandro Botticelli (circa 1445-1510) which reveals the graceful spirit and sensitive lyricism for which the artist is best known. One of the earliest works is Lorenzo Monaco’s The Crucifixion with the Virgin, Saint John and Mary Magdalene (ca. 1395-1400), with its pious figures and stunning gilt background that are a hallmark of the Late Gothic style. Luca Giordano (1634-1705), a leading figure of the Late Baroque period in Italy, is represented by the moving Climb to Calvary (1685-1686), a large canvas that depicts an emotional encounter on Christ’s accent to his crucifixion. A featured work is the recently-restored Madonna with Child and Saint Catherine, a magnificent oil on canvas from the Workshop of Titian (ca. 1550).

For information and tickets, please call 954- 262.0221 or log on to www.moafl.org. Group rates are available. The Museum is home to AutoNation Academy of Art & Design, Books & Books and the Museum CafĂ©. Open Tuesdays-Saturdays, 11am- 6 pm with extended hours Thursdays until 8 pm. Sundays 12-5pm. Closed Mondays, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, and July 4th.

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