From Raphael to Titian, Parmigianino to Gentileschi, 40 magnificent works of art from southern Italy’s largest museum arrive in Seattle this month. Flesh and Blood: Italian Masterpieces from the Capodimonte Museum opens at the Seattle Art Museum October 17 and runs through January 26, 2020.
Flesh and Blood offers a rare opportunity to see works of art created not only by Italian Renaissance and Baroque masters, but also by French and Spanish artists working in Italy at the time. The show includes 39 paintings and one sculpture, Rape of a Sabine by Giambologna.
“We jumped at the opportunity to bring this exhibit to Seattle audiences,” said Chiyo Ishikawa, SAM’s Susan Brotman Deputy Director for Art and Curator of European Painting and Sculpture. “About two years ago, MondoMostre, an Italian exhibit planning service, visited us here in Seattle and left some materials behind. When we saw this project, we were blown away.”
The proposition was further sweetened when SAM curators found they could tailor the list of artwork to curate a show that would specifically appeal to contemporary American audiences. To help bring the show to the US, SAM reached out to the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas. Last November, the directors and curators of both museums traveled to Naples to work out the details.
The National Museum of Capodimonte is one of Italy’s largest museums with an impressive but under-visited collection. Built as a hunting lodge by Charles III, King of the Two Sicilies (Naples and Sicily), it was used to house the extensive Farnese collection after Charles inherited it from his mother in 1735.
The collection was expanded over time and by the 18th century, the pink-and-grey palace was an essential stop on the Grand Tour for young aristocrats. In 1861, after Italian unification, the palace was owned by the house of Savoia, and in 1920, it was donated to the Italian state. Its extensive gardens and woods, which overlook the city and bay of Naples and cover more than 330 acres, were recognized in 2014 as Italy’s most beautiful park, cited for their historical, architectural and botanical heritage.
Most of the paintings on display at SAM feature portraits drawn from mythology or religion. The themes are dramatic and the lighting, theatrical. “The canvases are huge,” said Ishikawa. “When you see them in person, their size is intimidating. Many were painted to be altar pieces, so they were designed to be large and hang over the viewer. The figures are life-sized which means you can experience them on a more physical level.”
Flesh and Blood explores the intersection of physical and spiritual existence with an emphasis on the human body – whether it’s expressing love, depicting violence, representing suffering or portraying physical labor. “It’s a tough show,” said Ishikawa, “and the art does not shrink from the theme. There is graphic violence on display but there is also great spirituality and tenderness. You cannot help but see how contemporary these paintings are. I was struck by how great artists who address human themes can remain so current even centuries later.”
One example of that is Judith Beheading Holofernes by Artemisia Gentileschi. One of the most celebrated female artists of the Baroque period, Gentileschi was known for her dramatic scenes featuring women from the Bible or mythology. In the painting on view, Gentileschi depicts the story of the Jewish heroine Judith caught in the act of slaying the general Holofernes who was threatening to destroy her village. Two strong young women are holding down the general, focused on their grisly task, their sleeves rolled up and the general’s blood running red over the white sheets.
“This is an unflinching portrait of a woman taking revenge on a man who threatened her,” said Ishikawa. “It’s a horrifying painting. You can almost feel the physical force it would take to behead someone. It’s not surprising that this image has become associated with today’s #MeToo movement. The murder is seen as a righteous response to a threat.”
Another painting, Massimo Stanzione’s Massacre of the Innocents, depicts the Biblical story of King Herod ordering the murder of all male children in Bethlehem under the age of two in an attempt to kill the infant Jesus. “This painting shows you the mothers’ anguish as they try to protect their children,” said Ishikawa. “You can almost feel the tension in their upraised hands. It’s easy to draw parallels between these mothers and parents today at the Mexican border who are separated from their children.”
A total of 24 Italian artists are presented in Flesh and Blood with works displayed chronologically from the 16th through the 18th centuries. In addition to Gentileschi and Stanzione, SAM visitors will also find artwork by Raphael, Parmigianino, Titian, Annibale Carracci, Bernardo Cavallino and Guido Reni, among others. Photos of the works and essays are available in the companion 160-page exhibit catalog.
Seattle residents and visitors can take advantage of an ongoing array of public programs, docent tours, art workshops and more offered throughout the exhibition run. A free community celebration will be held on October 17 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. that features live music, performances and art-making projects. More information at www.seattleartmuseum.org.
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