The Virgin and Child, by Raphael. © The Trustees of The British Museum
Exhibition Preview - Faith and Love: Picturing the Bible from Raphael to El Greco at the Bowes Museum until January 4 2009.
The Bowes Museum is currently hosting Faith and Love: Picturing the Bible from Raphael to El Greco, an exhibition which explores many of the most popular Bible stories visualized by western artists and craftsmen.
The show includes important paintings and artefacts from the Museum’s excellent collection of European art as well as loans from national collections.
Included are images of the most popular depictions of Old and New Testament stories including Moses in the Bulrushes, David and Goliath, the Nativity and the Flight into Egypt.
The Betrayal of Christ. © The Bowes Museum
Two intriguing works by Raphael will be displayed side by side, allowing a rare glimpse of the techniques employed in Renaissance painting.
The Madonna and Child, also known as the ‘Mackintosh Madonna’ after its last owner Miss Eva Mackintosh who donated it to The National Gallery, will be shown alongside the cartoon version (preliminary drawing) of The Virgin and Child, courtesy of The British Museum.
“Although it might not be considered by purists to be one of Raphael’s greatest paintings it is really important as in this instance we have the original cartoon, which is in very good condition,” said Emma House, the Museum’s Assistant Keeper of Fine Art.
“The cartoon would be pricked with holes and then a fine layer of charcoal would be dabbed over the outline to reproduce the design ready to paint. The pinholes on the cartoon are still clearly visible.”
Featured too is the work of Francesco Giovanni Penni, one of Raphael’s studio assistants, who worked with him on the Loggia and whose drawings were probably produced in preparation for the project.
Jan Van Amstel's Landscape with Flight into Egypt. © The Bowes Museum
Another highlight of the exhibition is a 19th century set of engravings produced by Nicolas Chaperon in 1649. These illustrate Raphael’s frescoes for the Loggia of the Vatican, known as Raphael’s Bible.
Through Chaperon’s beautifully printed images, visitors will be introduced to the story of the creation of the world, the temptation of Adam and Eve and Noah’s Ark. They are among the finest copies of Raphael’s work in the Loggia and are being conserved especially for the exhibition.
The Museum’s collections depicting Biblical themes will be exhibited alongside these artworks. These include a wooden Noah’s Ark with animals, a children’s 3D puzzle revealing different stories and a 15th century carpet, made specifically for decoration, portraying Biblical images from the Book of Genesis.
One of The Bowes Museum’s most famous paintings, The Tears of St Peter by El Greco, c1580, is also displayed in the exhibition.
Admission to the museum is £7.00 for adults, £6.00 for concessions. Under 16s go free.
