With works by some of the greatest names in European art, Of Heaven and Earth: 500 Years of Italian Painting from Glasgow Museums will examine the thematic and stylistic developments in Italian art—from the religious paintings of the late Middle Ages and Renaissance to the secular neoclassical and genre paintings of the nineteenth century. The remarkable regional and historical breadth of the exhibition will also showcase the outstanding quality of Glasgow Museums’ collection.

Organized into five chronological sections, Of Heaven and Earth will include paintings originating from the principal artistic centers of Italy—Rome, Milan, Bologna, Florence, Siena, Naples, and Venice—and will present the works of artists such as Giovanni Bellini, Sandro Botticelli, Domenichino, Francesco Guardi, Salvator Rosa, and Titian alongside those of lesser-known masters. Many of these works are being conserved specifically in anticipation of this tour. The exhibition will highlight significant new research and discoveries relating to attribution, dates, provenance, infrared analysis, and the reconstruction of fragmented altarpieces.

The accompanying catalogue will feature essays on Glasgow’s collections and the museum’s Italian paintings by Guest Curator Peter Humfrey, an internationally renowned specialist in Italian art history who teaches at the University of St. Andrews.

This exhibition will travel to six venues.

*This is when the tour is expected to begin. The exact date will depend upon the needs of the participating institutions.

For more information, contact Michelle Hargrave, AFA Curator of Exhibitions, at 212.999.7700 x225 or mhargrave@afaweb.org.