Guido Rebecchini – författare

Andrea Mantegna painted The Triumphs of Caesar between the mid-1480s and 1506. The series of nine canvases reconstructs the magnificent procession held in 46 bc celebrating the victories of the Roman general – and later dictator – Julius Caesar. This introduction to the series begins by exploring Andrea Mantegna’s career and artistic production in Mantua between 1460 and 1506. During this period, his output included altarpieces and frescoes, as well as portraits and paintings of pagan and devotional subjects. Obsessive in his attention to detail and expert in illusionistic representations of space, Mantegna transformed Mantua into a ‘modern’ avant-garde centre whose influence spread all over Italy and beyond. A second chapter focuses specifically on the Triumphs. Mantegna took on this highly ambitious project when he was working as a court painter for the ruling Gonzaga family in Mantua. He drew on ancient and contemporary writings for this powerful and sustained evocation of the classical world, incorporating imagery from Roman antiquities.Published by National Gallery Global Ltd/Distributed by Yale University Press

This stunning catalogue presents The Courtauld's outstanding collection of works by Renaissance artist Girolamo Francesco Maria Mazzola, better known as Parmigianino (1503-1540). This catalogue accompanies a display of works by Parmigianino at The Courtauld, including his famous and enigmatic painting of the Virgin and Child, as well as drawn studies for his most ambitious projects such as the Madonna of the Long Neck and the frescoes of the church of Santa Maria della Steccata in Parma. The latter was the last and most important commission of his life and would have been his triumphal homecoming. Instead, Parmigianino became entangled in his experimental processes and failed to complete it, leading to his brief imprisonment for breach of contract. Fundamentally a draftsman at heart, Parmigianino drew relentlessly during his relatively short life, and around a thousand of his drawings have survived. The Courtauld's collection comprises twenty-four sheets. In preparation for the catalogue, new photography and technical examinations have been carried out on all the works revealing two new drawings that were previously unknown, hidden underneath theirhistoric mounts. They have also helped to better identify connections between some of the drawings and the finished paintings for which they were conceived. The catalogue illustrates the whole Courtauld collection, which also includes two paintings and more than ten prints. As a printmaker, Parmigianino is considered to have been the first to experiment with etching in Italy and was a pioneer of the chiaroscuro woodcut technique. His refined and graceful compositions were much appreciated by his contemporaries and exalted by the artist and biographer Giorgio Vasari (1511-74). This catalogue and display have been curated by Gottardo and Rebecchini in collaboration with former and current research students at The Courtauld, and technical research has been conducted by members of The Courtauld Conservation Institute. A truly collaborative project, the catalogue sheds light on an artist who approached every technique with unprecedented freedom and produced innovative works which were studied and admired by artists and collectors for many years to come.