Taddeo Zuccaro, Five Walking Figures (recto), 1550-1559, pen and ink with brown wash over black chalk. Gift of Bayside Lakeshore Properties Ltd., 1998 (41-018.07)
Exhibitions
Sixteenth-Century Italian Drawings in Canadian Collections: The Century of Mannerism
Historical Feature and R. Fraser Elliott Galleries
17 October - 15 December 2004
Italian Renaissance masters Michelangelo and Raphael used drawings to develop their renowned figural compositions. Their approach collectively became known as la bella maniera (the beautiful manner), and inspired an enduring following, later called Mannerism, in many artistic centres in Italy. In 1998, the Art Centre received an astonishing gift of Mannerist drawings from Duke Roberto Ferretti. A selection of the finest works in this group forms the core of a national touring exhibition organized by the Art Centre.
Highlighting the collecting of sixteenth-century Italian drawings in Canada over the past 100 years, the show also includes remarkable works from the National Gallery of Canada, Art Gallery of Ontario, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, MacKenzie Art Gallery, Winnipeg Art Gallery, and several private collections. This is a rare opportunity to see many outstanding drawings from this period by major figures such as Raphael, Parmigianino, Pontormo, Giulio Romano, and Polidoro del Caravaggio. Representing the major phases and geographic centres of Mannerism, this exhibition tells the story of this exciting era in European art, while celebrating the collecting achievements of Canadian institutions and collectors.
David de Witt
Supported by the Museums Assistance Program of the Department of Canadian Heritage.