The Annunciation by Sandro Botticelli (and possibly assistant), c. 1490–95.| Photo courtesy of American Federation of Arts.

On Saturday, Oct. 3, Francesco Freddolini will lecture at the Vancouver Art Gallery on the historical use and purpose of the works of some of the greatest known European painters of all time.

Presented by the Vancouver Art Gallery and the Consulate General of Italy in Vancouver, Inside and Outside the Frame: Understanding Paintings in their Historical Context is an attempt to bring to life the current exhibit at the Vancouver Art Gallery, and to reveal to its audience that paintings were not solely revered for artistic intent.

Links to Italy

Virgin and Child by Giovanni Bellini, c. 1480–85.| Photo courtesy of American Federation of Arts.

In tandem with Of Heaven and Earth: 500 Years of Italian Painting from Glasgow Museum, an exhibit tracing the “Golden Age of Italian painting” from the 14th to 19th centuries, Freddolini’s lecture will portray the artistic relevance of Italian paintings to Italian culture. The featured artworks were produced in the artistic centres of Italy, such as Rome, Milan, Florence, Bologna, Siena, Naples and Venice, abundant in revolutions, conflict and religion.

The exhibit is a treat for all, particularly for those Italians living in Vancouver who retain a devoted passion for their culture and history. Many arrived as immigrants in the 1940s and 50s to escape war, and settled in the bustling Commercial Drive area. Their cultural presence was so strong that the area was and continues to be called “Little Italy” by many. It is no wonder that the Consulate General of Italy had a hand in organizing Freddolini’s Inside and Outside the Frame, to celebrate and reunite the links between the Glasgow masterpieces and Italian culture and history.

“[The exhibit is] one of the finest civic collections in the UK, from Glasgow Museums,” says Kathleen S. Bartels, director of the Vancouver Art Gallery.

It features masterpieces by acclaimed artists such as Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Bellini, the Cavaliere d’Arpino (Giueppe Cesary), Fracesco Guardi, Domenichino, Salvatore Rosa and, the most celebrated, Titian.

More than a pretty picture

Freddolini, art historian and teacher at Luther College and the University of Regina, discusses the variety of lives of Renaissance and Baroque paintings beyond our admiration of them in museums. He examines how masterpieces communicated meaning in their original social contexts.

Complementing the lecture is the exhibit’s chronological timeline of events between the 14th and 19th centuries, allowing the audience a glimpse into the times in which the paintings on display were produced, and giving them a sense of the artistic context that gave rise to the paintings in the first place.

“Every society and individual interacts with objects, asking them questions that are relevant to their specific needs, interests and objectives,” says Freddolini.

One of the first paintings of the exhibit, Niccolo di Buonaccorso’s St. Lawrence, was used as a tool for prayer in the 14th century, for example. Similarly, the Nativiti of Christ by Francesco Francia was once part of a complex altarpiece, with a complex narrative scheme that interacted with other paintings. Today, we examine these masterworks behind glass at the Vancouver Art Gallery.

Seeing the exhibit on its own provides the viewer with the inspiration for a passionate appreciation of artistic precision and delicacy, full of meaning and purpose. This much is evidenced in the tightly packed gallery rooms of the exhibit, which has been open since June 12.

With tilted heads and sideways glances, viewers carefully examine the colorful and dark brush strokes in each painting and read their descriptors. It is important to note, however, that Inside and Outside the Frame can help enrich the meaning of such artworks.

“Once we look beyond the frame, to investigate the context, our understanding of paintings becomes more complex and multifaceted.” says Freddolini.

For more information, visit www.vanartgallery.bc.ca.

Death of Julius Caesar by Vincenzo Camuccini, c. 1825–29.| Photo courtesy of American Federation of Arts.