European Masterpieces at GOMA

Four years in the planning, many months in the execution and last weekend saw the Gallery of Modern Art opening its exhibition of European Masterpieces to the public. 500 years of art right before our very eyes here in Brisbane all the way from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York - Yup, if we can't travel GOMA brings it all to us. What a treat! What a unique show! I spent the best part of this week there and I could easily go back and spend several more days. It's not just the art, its the way the Gallery enables us to connect with it -from apps and details on the artists and their works, to drawing our own still life drawings to lectures and musical interludes on a daily basis.They are incomparable in this skill and offer a world class experience. 

65 works have come to Brisbane. The earliest, the Crucifixion by Fra Angelico goes back to 1420-23

I am going to chose just a handful to show you - some real favourites 

Starting with Madonna and Child by Carlo Crivelli dating back to 1457

This work is done on a piece of wood with Egg tempura hundreds of years ago. A medium that is very difficult to work with and yet the results are so stunning. The Madonna and Child set in the forefront, lush gardens in the back, between large fruits on either side and what looks remarkably like a cucumber on the right - apparently a bit of a trademark of the artist, who clearly had a sense of humour and wanted to emphasise fecundity. His beautiful signature at the bottom as a folded piece of paper as well as an oversize fly buzzing around which the child is distracted by. 

This is the Portrait of a Young Man painted by Hugo Van der Goes 1457. 

Here it canvas and oil and suddenly all the subtleties of oil painting are opened up, including this young man's five o clock shadow. The wrinkles in his hands and his sunken eyes. Something profoundly sad and thoughtful in this young man's countenance, perhaps a reflection of the artist's difficult life.  

Venus and Adonis by Titian in the 1550s 

The quality of the light, their entwined bodies, her begging him to stay and not head out to hunt, perhaps a premonition on her part that she will never see him again. He was gored to death. 

Caravaggio's Musicians 1597

Caravaggio was 26 and newly arrived in Rome when he was commissioned to paint this work of Musicians, an allegory of music and love. It is thought the one looking back at us is Caravaggio himself. His departure from the norm was evident in this painting choosing ordinary people to feature in this scene.

 

Degas Danceurs 1834- 1917 

Artists beginning to allow themselves freedom in their subject matters. Backstage at the ballet - new subjects, different art, oil on canvas but looking almost as if it is a pastel. The image of a prying man with a hat on and a large belly, looking at the ballerinas. Somethings never change 😕

Renoir A young Girl with daisies 1889 

An exquisite sensual drawing though we are not sure whether she was a neighbour, a lover, or a friend. Mrs Renoir who appears in the wall opposite this young girl is not half as attractive or sensual. 

Cezanne and his still life 1891 

I never realised but his perspective leaves questions in a viewer's mind. They don't look quite right but that is because he was a master of dimensions, weights and depths and often wanted to give a whole image to the viewers from any side it was looked at. He said  "with an apple I want to astonish the whole of Paris". 

There is more, so much more but these were some special favourites. Do go if you can.