Tag Archive for 'Saint Louis Art Museum'

Eyes Wide Open

Published on 24. 05. 2013 in commentary and criticism and pictorial arts. 1 Comment Tags: , , , .

Study for the head of Saint Francis, c. 1571-76, black, red and white chalk and pink pastel, 34.5 x 28.8 cm., Edinburgh, National Galleries of Scotland


The great Barocci show at the National Gallery in London closed last Sunday. I’d been meaning to write something about it here since I saw it in its first weeks, but things got in the way and I never got around to it. The show, however, has stuck in my memory as a particularly exhilarating one, an excellent combination of great art and curatorial rigor, as well as a discovery for many, I’m sure. I had long admired Federico Barocci (c. 1533/35–1612) as a draughtsman, especially after the exquisite show at the Fitzwilliam in 2006, but had remained more tepid on his paintings. This show changed that, revealing as it did the simultaenously searching and visionary qualities of his work.

I still don’t have the time for a thorough write-up, but here are some scattered notes, written from memory: Continue reading ‘Eyes Wide Open’