The Timeless Gaze is a new set-up now on at Galleria Canesso, in Piazza Riforma, Lugano. From November 12 to February 28, visitors will have a chance to appreciate, among others, the Vergins with the Christ Child by Maestro di Camporgiano and Lorenzo di Giovanni di Nofri, and The Mystic Marriage of Saint Catherine by Denys Calvaert.
Entry is free, and a guide will always be available on site to explain the paintings.
Eyes are like windows to the soul, revealing the emotions and feelings that dwell in the heart of man.
In the Vergin by Maestro di Camporgiano, Mary’s hieratic, firm gaze, clouded with sadness, takes to an abstract, timeless world, leading to an inner space where Jesus’ dramatic fate is already taking place. The gold of the table, the red of Mary’s dress, the orange of Jesus’ cape, scattered with golden leaves, and the chiseled halos make the painting a valuable, rare piece.
Lorenzo di Giovanni di Nofri’s table is a throwback to the splendid, shiny Florence of Lorenzo the Magnificent, Sandro Botticelli and Filippino Lippi. In this “colmo da camera” intended for private devotion at home, the gentle eyes and harmonious features of the Vergin’s face make the divine human. Enveloped in a crystal clear aura, the Vergin admires the Christ Child with a sweet, affectionate gaze.
As the 16th century comes to an end, in The Mystic Marriage of Saint Catherine, the Vergin is pictured a purely earthly woman, troubled by any mother’s worries. His cheeks flushing with shyness, Child Jesus looks for shelter and solace in Mary’s arms. She holds him, and half amused, half worried, watches over him, seeing that he rightly carries out his duty.
