Renaissance Masters: The Art of Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and Raffaello

Renaissance Masters: The Art of Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and Raffaello
世界巨匠——意大利文艺复兴三杰

Dates: Nov 28, 2018- Feb 24, 2019
Location: Nanjing Museum, Nanjing, Jiangsu province
Organized by: Nanjing Museum and the Associazione Culturale MetaMorfosi

This exhibition was on loan to Nanjing Museum, where it combined high curatorial value with low ticket prices for the benefit of the public. It showcased 14th-to-15th-century Western art focusing on the works of three Italian Renaissance masters - Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519), Michelangelo (1475-1564), and Raffaello (1483-1520).

Based on a careful study of Renaissance art history, the curatorial team has taken on loan from Italy some core Renaissance masterpieces - and those by related artists - that are essential to building an effective narrative of the cultural landscape of the time.

The exhibition harnesses resources for different levels of interpretation, including developing audio guide programs, educational activities, and cultural creative products. It has attracted 180,000 visitors, of whom 90 percent were youngsters, setting a good example for improving the museum's capacity for public art education.

In the gallery, an eight-minute documentary introduced the Western art world from the 14th to the 15th century. A timeline chronicled the career of 12 Renaissance artists, comparing their most known works and exploring the revered status that Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raffaello have enjoyed. Classical Italian pastorale music was played in the plainly decorated environment, creating a solemn and serene atmosphere in which visitors could immerse themselves in the exhibits. In addition, an exhibition catalogue was compiled and published for further reading.

The exhibition was exquisite though not in large scale. It showcased 68 exhibits of oil painting, sculpture, drawing, and manuscript. There were 27 originals by the three Renaissance giants, 37 originals of their followers, and four masterpiece reproductions.