Diana and Callisto
Diana and Callisto | |
---|---|
Oil on canvas | |
Dimensions | 187 cm × 204.5 cm (74 in × 80.5 in) |
Location | National Gallery and Scottish National Gallery, London and Edinburgh |
Diana and Callisto is a painting completed between 1556 and 1559 by the Italian late Renaissance artist
History
Diana and Callisto is part of a series of seven famous canvasses,
It was sent to London for sale in 1793 and purchased by a syndicate of three aristocrats, the leader of which, the canal and coal-magnate
Sutherland collection
Bridgewater was probably inspired to buy the paintings by his nephew,
National acquisition
The Sutherland collection has passed by descent to Francis Egerton, 7th Duke of Sutherland, most of whose wealth is contained in the paintings collection, but who, in late August 2008 announced his wish to sell some of the collection in order to diversify his assets.[10] He at first offered them as a pair to the British national galleries at £100m (a third of their overall estimated market price) if they could demonstrate by the end of 2008 that they could raise that sum – if not, the pair or other paintings from the Bridgewater collection would be put on public auction in 2009. The NGS and the National Gallery in London announced that they would combine forces to raise £50m (or a demonstration that this money could be raised) to purchase Diana and Actaeon paid over three years in instalments and then £50m for Diana and Callisto to be paid for similarly from 2013.[11][12][13]
Though the campaign received criticism from John Tusa and Nigel Carrington for the Duke's motives and for distracting from funding art students,[14] it gained press support in the UK.[15] On 14 October 2008, the appeal received £1 million from the Art Fund[16] and on 19 November this was followed by £10 million from the National Heritage Memorial Fund.[17]
Speculation began when the original 31 December 2008 deadline passed without news and the Scottish Government's announcement of a contribution of £17.5 million in January 2009 triggered a political row, with
However, on 23 October 2011, the Scottish government announced it would not make a contribution to the Diana and Callisto appeal, referring to its contribution to the Diana and Actaeon appeal by stating that "this government has made its contribution to the campaign".
The painting is displayed with Diana and Actaeon on a rotating basis in London and Edinburgh, starting with London from 1 March 2012 – for the Diana and Callisto, this will be on a 60:40 basis in favour of London, to reflect the National Gallery's greater monetary contribution to the purchase.[2]
Painting materials
Titian employed an exceedingly wide palette consisting of nearly all pigments of the Renaissance period,
Titian's poesie series for Philip II
- Danaë, delivered to Philip 1553, now Wellington Collection, with earlier and later versions.
- Venus and Adonis, Museo del Prado, delivered 1554, and several other versions
- National Gallery of Scotlandin Edinburgh
- Diana and Callisto, 1556–1559, owned jointly by London's National Gallery of Scotlandin Edinburgh
- Perseus and Andromeda, Wallace Collection, c. 1553–1562
- The Rape of Europa, c. 1560–1562, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
- The Death of Actaeon, National Gallery, never delivered and not always counted in the series, c. 1559 onwards
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Danaë
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Diana and Callisto
See also
References
- ^ Brigstocke, 183–186
- ^ a b Pauline McLean BBC Scotland arts correspondent (2 March 2012). "Titian masterpiece Diana and Callisto saved for nation". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 1 March 2012.
- ^ Brigstocke, 180 and 183–184
- ^ Brigstocke, 11
- ^ "Rembrandt, "Self-Portrait, aged 51" – NGS catalogue entry". Nationalgalleries.org. Archived from the original on 19 February 2012. Retrieved 1 March 2012.
- ^ Brigstocke, 183–184
- ^ The loan includes a total of 26 paintings, sixteen from the Orléans Collection. – Brigstocke, 11
- ^ Paul Hills, "Titian's Fire: Pyrotechnics and Representations in Sixteenth-Century Venice", Oxford Art Journal 2007 30(2), pp. 185–204
- ^ Freud, Lucian (22 December 2001). "Artists on art: Freud on Titian". The Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 15 May 2008. Retrieved 30 August 2008.
- ^ He had earlier sold another Titian from the loan – the Venus Anadyomene – to the NGS in 2000.
- ^ Bates, Stephen (28 August 2008). "Art auction: National galleries scramble to keep Titians as duke cashes in". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 28 August 2008.
- ^ "Editorial: In praise of... the Bridgewater loan". The Guardian. London. 28 August 2008. Retrieved 28 August 2008.
- ^ "National Galleries of Scotland press release". Nationalgalleries.org. Archived from the original on 19 February 2012. Retrieved 1 March 2012.
- ^ Thorpe, Vanessa (16 November 2008). "Arts chiefs warn of harm from Titian crusade". The Observer. London. Retrieved 20 November 2008.
- ^ Jones, Jonathan (31 October 2008). "Enough vulgar Marxism – we must keep Titian's masterpiece". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 20 November 2008.
- ^ "£1 m pledge for Titian masterpiece". BBC News. 14 October 2008. Retrieved 19 November 2008.
- ^ "£10 m boost for Titian masterpiece". BBC News. 19 November 2008. Retrieved 19 November 2008.
- ^ "Titian work sparks political row". BBC News. 5 January 2009.
- ^ Higgins, Charlotte (28 January 2009). "Behind-the-scenes wrangling with the duke delays Titian announcement". The Guardian. London.
- ^ Kennedy, Maev (29 December 2009). "Fatal flaw: why masterpieces on loan could be lost to the nation". The Guardian. London.
- ^ "Funds secured for Titian painting". BBC News. 2 February 2009.
- ^ Carrell, Severin (3 February 2009). "Titian appeal secures funds to help buy second work". The Guardian. London.
- ^ "No government cash for Titian". The Scotsman. 24 October 2011.
- ^ Brown, Mark (1 March 2012). "Second part of £95m Titian pair bought for Britain". The Guardian. London.
- ^ Bennett, Catherine (4 March 2012). "Titian, Art and design, Art (visual arts only), UK news, Museums (Culture), Culture". The Observer. London.
- ^ Jill Dunkerton and Marika Spring. With contributions from Rachel Billinge, Helen Howard, Gabriella Macaro, Rachel Morrison, David Peggie, Ashok Roy, Lesley Stevenson and Nelly von Aderkas, Titian after 1540: Technique and Style in his Later Works, National Gallery Technical Bulletin 36, 2017
- ^ Titian, Diana and Callisto, ColourLex
Sources
- Brigstocke, Hugh; Italian and Spanish Paintings in the National Gallery of Scotland, 2nd Edn, 1993, National Galleries of Scotland, ISBN 0-903598-22-1
External links
- National Galleries of Scotland catalogue entry for Diana and Callisto
- Jones, Jonathan (28 August 2008). "The battle of the Titians". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 30 August 2008.
- Other press reactions to the NGS/NG appeal
- Titian, Diana and Callisto, ColourLex