Every work of art is a surprise. But even more so when dogs, cats, serpents, birds and monkeys make way for more unusual animals, such as toads, for instance. And if the artist places a toad on its back under the figure of Archangel Michael, the mystery increases along with the curiosity. So what does this animal represent? At the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana, the Madonna of the Towers, masterpiece by Bramantino, dating back to the start of the XVI Century, communicates, from the point of view of content, a clear position against the fear of heresy, the evident total defeat of evil through faith. The Virgin seated on a monumental marble throne, covered with a red drape, solemnly hands a palm to Saint Ambrose. The Saint is kneeling on the left, right in front of Archangel Michael who entrusts the effigy of the work’s patron to Baby Jesus who is seated on the lap of the Virgin, ready to receive it. In this symmetrical game of mirrors where the subjects correspond (the two angels are complementary as are the two towers behind them), the two symbols of evil are only glimpsed, placed at the bottom of the painting by the artist. The dead man at the foot of Ambrose is the great heresiarch Arius, symbol of Aryanism, ideally defeated by the faith of the Saint. The disturbing image of the toad placed by Bramantino below Michael represents wickedness defeated.
The first museum exhibition dedicated to the work of Miranda July retraces the thirty-year career of the American artist, director and writer from the 1990s to today, presenting short films, performances and installations.
For the first time, Palazzo Reale celebrates the talent of Giuseppe De Nittis in a monographic exhibition by exhibiting around 90 paintings, including oils and pastels, from the main public and private collections, both Italian and foreign.
Music and photography, Guido Harari's great passions
All the phases of Guido Harari's eclectic career: from his debut in the musical field as a photographer and journalist, to the numerous record covers, up to the affirmation of a work that over time has bounced from publishing to advertising, from fashion to reportage.
Adrian Piper. Adrian Piper and racism in contemporary visual culture traitor
The first European retrospective in over twenty years dedicated to Adrian Piper, conceptual artist, minimalist and performer in the New York art scene of the late Sixties.