Strokes of Genius: Italian Drawings from the Goldman Collection
The exhibition focuses on 鈥淭he Art of Composition鈥� by displaying drawings from the late 15th to the mid-17th century according to their intended function. Organized by drawing type鈥攆igures, head studies, and compositional drawings鈥擲trokes of Genius invites viewers to compare the use of media and technique in each category. Most were executed as working drawings to develop compositions for paintings, sculpture, and decorative arts. Unique to this collection is the unusual opportunity to display more than one study for a single project; the multiple preparatory sheets for one commission allow viewers to witness the thought process of the artist as he searches for his form, rejecting and changing ideas. Two sheets by Francesco Vanni (1563鈥�1610) for The Coronation of the Virgin, created for the Chiesa del Santuccio in Siena between 1610 and 1614, beautifully illustrate this process.
In addition to working drawings, the exhibition includes meticulously finished virtuoso presentation renderings that were executed as works of art in their own right, including a set of the Four Evangelists by Guercino (1591?鈥�1666). The increasing demand for presentation drawings reflects the value placed on drawing as its own medium, capable of conveying artistic genius and worthy of collecting for its singular merits. In addition to well-known artists of the period, the exhibition includes a number of stellar works by masters who were once deemed minor, but have since been reconsidered by scholars.
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The exhibition focuses on 鈥淭he Art of Composition鈥� by displaying drawings from the late 15th to the mid-17th century according to their intended function. Organized by drawing type鈥攆igures, head studies, and compositional drawings鈥擲trokes of Genius invites viewers to compare the use of media and technique in each category. Most were executed as working drawings to develop compositions for paintings, sculpture, and decorative arts. Unique to this collection is the unusual opportunity to display more than one study for a single project; the multiple preparatory sheets for one commission allow viewers to witness the thought process of the artist as he searches for his form, rejecting and changing ideas. Two sheets by Francesco Vanni (1563鈥�1610) for The Coronation of the Virgin, created for the Chiesa del Santuccio in Siena between 1610 and 1614, beautifully illustrate this process.
In addition to working drawings, the exhibition includes meticulously finished virtuoso presentation renderings that were executed as works of art in their own right, including a set of the Four Evangelists by Guercino (1591?鈥�1666). The increasing demand for presentation drawings reflects the value placed on drawing as its own medium, capable of conveying artistic genius and worthy of collecting for its singular merits. In addition to well-known artists of the period, the exhibition includes a number of stellar works by masters who were once deemed minor, but have since been reconsidered by scholars.
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