June 26 - The excellence of Italian art and history has always had great success abroad, and in recent years especially thanks to ad hoc organized exhibitions in major museums. And Russia has seen a series of cultural events, most notably the 2011 " Caravaggio: Italian museums", the biggest show on the Milanese painter ever organized outside Italy. The last chapter of this trend is "Titian (1488/90-1576). From the collections of the Italian Museums," to be held at the Museum of Fine Arts "A. S. Pushkin" in Moscow throughout the summer, from today until September 29. The organization of the event was taken care of by the Russian museum, the Embassy of Italy in collaboration with the Ministry of Heritage and Culture and the Russian Ministry of Culture. The exhibition will include 11 of the greatest masterpieces of the Renaissance, from ten different museums in eight Italian cities. The aim of the exhibition is to highlight the importance of our provinces’ cultural heritage, in anticipation of the Year of the cross-Italy-Russia tourism, which will begin in September. The exhibition, curated by Professor Giovanni C. F. Villa, wants to retrace the artistic evolution of the great Italian artist. Born and almost always operating in Veneto, Titian, thanks to his unique ability in the use of colors, was able to influence his contemporaries and following generations. He worked for the most important patrons of Europe: the Pope, the King of Spain, the Este Gonzaga… serving as the first "European" painter, responding to new aesthetic requirements typical of the Renaissance period. The exhibition’s set up aims at reconstructing the entire artistic career of the painter, starting from the beginning, where the previous painting tradition is still present, then exploring the artist’s progressive search for expressive autonomy, which will lead to the abandonment, in the mid-1500s, of nature in favor of a revolutionary emotional tension. Titian’s works of sacred art are included as part of his portraiture production, known for his ability to combine the official character of the portraits while revealing the human side of his clients. This section demonstrates how Titian, while privileging chromatic relationships, doesn’t neglect compositions, reconciling monumentality with the original context, with a degree of realism later explored in the "Fine Venetian" gallery. The genre, reflecting the canon of Renaissance beauty, highlights "mythological poems," also featured in the exhibition. There will also be works of the last period of his life, when, almost ninety years, Titian created atmospheres with strong emotional traits and devoid of tangible materiality.

PAINTINGS ON DISPLAY

The works of Titian on display in Moscow trace the evolution of the artist, including the historical context and his personal artistic timeframe. The Venetian "Belle" series offered two paintings from Florence: "Flora" (1517) from the Uffizi Gallery (on display for a few days at the Embassy) and "La Bella" (1536) from the Galleria Palatina in Palazzo Pitti. Ancona offered "Crocefissione" (1558), an altarpiece that leaves Italy for the first time. The Carrara Academy in Bergamo gave its "Madonna with Child" (1507), while the Pinacoteca di Brera in Milan provided its "Portrait of Count Antonio Porcia" (1535-1540). The Palatine Gallery in Palazzo Pitti also offered its "Portrait of Tommaso Mosti" (1520), known for its psychological tension; while the Museum of Palazzo Te in Mantua provided the "Portrait of Giulio Romano," (1536). From the Museum of Capodimonte in Naples, Moscow will receive the "Danae and the Shower of Gold Coins", part of the "mythological poems" cycle. From Rome, the "Baptism of Christ" (1512) was given by the Pinacoteca Capitolina, and the "Venus blindfolding Cupid" (1559-1561) by the Galleria Borghese. Finally, there will be "Annunciation", one of the last works by the artist, a large altarpiece (4.10 x 2.40 meters) from the strong emotional traits, which has never left Italy before.