oil on canvas, 17th century Italian
The opening reception for “Method
& Metaphor,” a selection of Old Master paintings from the private
collection of Seena and Arnold Davis, is Thursday,
Jan. 22, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., in the Nott Memorial's Mandeville
Gallery.
The exhibit runs through March 14.
The exhibit is a rich, visually
dazzling example of high medieval art that resounds with passion and color.
Some 45 years ago, the Davises began collecting paintings
for their home. In time, they narrowed their focus to 16th-century
European Old Masters and earlier. Currently, their collection numbers
approximately 250 paintings and drawings.
The Davis
collection also represents a rich repository of art history, academic research,
and good old-fashioned detective work. The Davises spent countless hours
tracing the “provenance, origins and attributions” of each new acquisition.
They plumbed the knowledge of art historians and museum curators here and
abroad and in that process, built an impressive library of their own.
This particular selection of works
provides a unique view of the role and attitude toward women in Renaissance and
Baroque Europe (c. 1400 to 1700). A number of small-scale works, intended for
domestic display, portray the duality of woman as virgin/seductress. This theme
fairly dominates the religious art of the time, especially with innumerable
images of the Virgin Mary.
These works also portrayed
cautionary tales or morality guides of what vices to avoid and what virtues to
emulate. The symbolism is conveyed in images (white lilies, red roses, etc.)
and colors so even the illiterate could comprehend the message. Such artwork
was also designed to encourage prayer and meditation in the home.
Conversely, the female nude was
associated with eroticism and created almost exclusively for an elite audience
of educated men, many in the upper ranks of the church hierarchy. However,
depiction of Christ's nudity symbolized his human vulnerability.
For more on the show, visit: http://www.union.edu/Gallery/Current.htm