After the Dark Ages, new light was given to Europe, and though many Renaissance artists are now household names, there were some, such as Giovanni Battista Moroni, who did not play a major role then but have now given New York City a window into the traditional and sacred arts.
Moroni’s paintings now cover the walls of The Frick Collection: an art collection settled in what used to be the home of Henry Clay Frick—one of America’s most successful industrialists and art connoisseurs, according to the collection’s about page. The new exhibition, Moroni: The Riches of Renaissance Portraiture, presents the works of a Renaissance painter that have preserved their grandeur and nobility through a traditional technique.
Il Alle 15:30 EST (19 Feb)
presenteremo una conversazione in italiano su FB Live tra Simone Facchinetti e
Arturo Galansino, due dei curatori della nuova mostra su Moroni. https://t.co/lQPEtHCoXL pic.twitter.com/hdeSKDavtX— The Frick Collection (@frickcollection) February 19, 2019
“He’s very, very careful when he applies paint,” said Assistant Curator Aimee Ng. “So he’s not taking a big wad of paint and slapping it onto the canvas, which happens over the centuries as people become more modern, a little bit more expressive.”
Moroni lived from circa 1522 to Feb. 5, 1578, but surprisingly did not play a lead role in the Renaissance. According to the press release, he is believed to have spent most of his career in his hometown—Bergamo, northern Italy, and this may be the reason why he didn’t achieve fame. Close to 125 of his portraits remain, which is many compared to other Renaissance painters.
A Personal Interaction with the Sitter
An exemplary painting of Moroni—and one that he is most well-known for—is “The Tailor,” a rare subject of the Renaissance period. Director of the Palazzo Strozzi, Arturo Galansino, explains why in an interview.
I can’t decide whether I see tenderness or menace in Giovanni Moroni’s “Tailor,” which has just arrived at the @frickcollection. It shows a Renaissance tailor gazing out from his workshop, his scissors pointed provocatively at the viewer. pic.twitter.com/kyxBU18DzD
— Deborah Solomon (@deborahsolo) February 19, 2019
“As you can see, it’s a portrait; but it’s a portrait of somebody working,” said Galansino. “Which in the 1560s, 1570s was quite unique.”
The gaze of the tailor creates a personal experience with the viewer, and this is what Moroni is best known for. It looks like the tailor takes pride in his work.
Moroni is also accredited with the invention of sacred portraits. These portraits were commissioned, depicting the commissioners alongside sacred figures, according to the press release.
It is believed that Moroni’s sacred portraits represent the sitter practicing meditative prayers, called spiritual exercises, popularized by Saint Ignatius of Loyola. It could also be that Moroni was emphasizing the sitters’ religious piety, according to the release.
The Frick Collection
Moroni: Riches of Renaissance Portraiture will be on display from Feb. 21, 2019, to June 2, 2019. This is the first major Moroni exhibition in North America.
“Las riquezas del retrato renacentista” exposición en @frickcollection centrada en el retrato de Giovanni Battista Moroni. Moroni, pintor de retratos y temas religiosos, es una figura esencial en la tradición de pintura naturalista del norte de Italia. Del 21 febrero al 2 Junio. pic.twitter.com/ZoLF6exHh8
— @Cultura_Hola (@cultura_hola) February 19, 2019