Direct from the Director, Winter 2017-18
Greetings!
Rome is my favorite city, and home to some of my favorite artwork, so I am fortunate in being able to visit the Eternal City on occasion. My most recent trip, in October, was to speak at a symposium on the history of collecting Raphael—the great High Renaissance painter who was all the rage for centuries. My topic was Raphael in America, a story that is mostly about copies: the first real painting by that great Raphael only arrived in America at the very end of the 19th century; before that, American collectors satisfied their hunger for works by the “Prince of Painters,” as Raphael was long known, with replicas–some good, some less so. The first such copy to arrive on these shores was acquired by Thomas Jefferson, and untold hundreds entered American libraries, atheneums, universities and museums in the course of the nineteenth century. In fact, right here at Fairfield, we have copies of two of Raphael’s most famous compositions.
Just as Raphael, surprisingly, has a presence here, so, too, will one of the defining landmarks of Rome—if only briefly—beginning on February 2, when the Fairfield University Art Museum will open our ground-breaking exhibition: The Holy Name. Art of the Gesù: Bernini and his Age. Located in the very center of the city near the ancient Roman forum, the Gesù is one of the city’s most beautiful and important churches, and it house some of most glorious artistic masterpieces of the Baroque period. Five of these treasures, including a marble portrait bust by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, the greatest artist of the period and one of the towering personalities in the history of western art, will be on view in our galleries. None has ever before travelled to America (the Bernini has never even left Rome until now), so this is truly a historic moment. The exhibition also presents over 50 paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints, rare books, documents and precious objects lent by major American museums and generous private collectors. Together, the assembled works recount the fascinating stories of the foundation of the Jesuit order in Rome; the long and challenging road to construct and embellish it glorious mother church, the Gesù; and the creative, powerful and formidable personalities—artists, patrons, theologians–who made it all happen, headlined by Bernini, who was attached to the Jesuits and the Gesù for much of his long life. After May 19, these treasures from the Gesù return to Rome. Of course, you can always travel there to see the church and its artistic masterpieces, but I’m confident you won’t want to miss this extraordinary exhibition that brings them all to your own doorstep at the Fairfield University Art Museum. And be sure to attend some of the marvelous lectures, gallery talks, and other events we’re offering during the run of the show. As always, the exhibition and all our programs are free and open to the public.
See you in the galleries!
Artfully yours, Linda
Image: Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Bust of Cardinal Roberto Bellarmino, 1623-24. Marble. Church of the Gesù, Rome. Photo © Zeno Colantoni.
Original Post: December 12, 2017
