Some of the finest works by one of the best draftsman are now on show in the Louvre.A total of 66 drawings by Parmigianino (1503-1540), a great master of the Italian High Renaissance, from the museum’s collection are being showcased in two large rooms on the second floor of Aile Denon.Francesco Mazzuoli, called “Il Parmigianino” (small native of Parma) is a major figure of the Mannerism movement which changed the traditional canon and beauty ideals of the classical Renaissance art.The style was anti-naturalistic, favoring the elongation of proportions, contortion of forms, and eroticization of bodies.The drawings are shown in chronological order.Parmigianino showed a gift for drawing at a very early age. His drawings, most often preparatory for paintings, are frequently executed with red chalk, a new technique at that time, or pen and ink, adding a wash for shadows.In Parma, where he stayed until 1524, he was commissioned to paint several paintings for the Cathedral of Parma and other churches. For example, see “Three Nude Youths with Raised Arms Supporting Clouds”, from about 1522, or “St. Cecilia Walking and Holding a Viola da Gamba, Preceded by an Angel,” from about 1523.Parmigianino then managed to send his self-portrait to Pope Clement VII and left for work in Rome. After the ransacking of the city in 1527, he went to Bologna for three years, producing numerous portraits and religious works.The visitor can admire in particular three different studies of the 50 he executed for the famous “Madonna of the Long Neck” kept in the Uffizi.One oil-on-panel work is also presented: a small lovely unfinished sketch depicting “The Holy Family and the Mystical Marriage of Sainte Catherine.” Its composition has often been copied.The curators have decided to showcase these highly refined works in a sober and uncluttered space. The contrast between these dreamlike drawings of another age, and their modern presentation is a success.“Parmigianino, 1503–1540” runs through February 15, 2016.
↧