Copper. The Medium of Flemish Art
Turin 07.11.2017-23.12.2017
The second half of the sixteenth century marks the rise in the world of arts of a new medium for the realization of the paintings: the copper.
The copper’s foil was and ideal medium for oil paintings because it was a waterproof support, resistent, smooth, characterized by the same reddish color that was used to prepare the pictorial backdrops.
The major production centers were Antwerp, Hamburg and Amsterdam, all cities linked to the monopoly of this metal, that was held by the Fugger family.
Entire generations of Dutch and Flemish artists have been challenged in the use of this media, that soon proved itself suitable for nordic school, perfect to realize masterpieces and rise to be the support par excellence of Flemish art.
Therefore, the exhibition by Caretto&Occhinegro is configured as a cross-digression in to the Nordic Painting, without a focus on a single artist or on a specific subject, prefering another point of view and choosing to present a selection of artwork to enhance the aesthetic qualities of copper and its usefulness to the formal values of Flemish Art: brightness, minuteness of details, glazed surfaces, the freshness of the stroke, formal and chromatic pleasantness.
The exhibition, which will be accompanied by a catalog (bilingual, with introductory essay and datasheets), will consist of about twenty works by authors from the end of XVI century to the end of XVII century, among which Jan Brueghel I, Jan Brueghel II, Jan van Kessel I, Adriaen van Stalbemt, Gerard de la Vallée, Giullaume Forchondt, Ferdinand van Kessel, Pieter Schoubroeck, Pieter van Avont and Abraham Govaerts.
