Last night was the opening of ‘Michelangelo’s Dream’ at The Courtauld Gallery which was truly amazing and focuses on the drawing that Michelangelo did as a ‘show’ work for a young man that he fell in love with, called Tommaso de Cavalieri.
The drawing The Dream – Il sogno is iconic and has not only been replicated a great deal within its own century {1533} but also by many artists who have all copied this drawing. The exhibition shows this, and the copies with a collection of about 15 other drawings by Michelangelo…. it’s the sheer accuracy and depth of emotion at this scale that is breathtaking.
When you look at a reproduction in a book, most if not all are enlarged, some even fill banners and building boards – but what you don’t see, unless you stand in front of the actual work, is the delicacy and the sensitivity of his work which is so, so breathtakingly small, achieved in Red Chalk or Black Chalk.
The exhibition is in the upstairs gallery of Somerset House, and it’s also magical for me to stand in a room that is so historic – and now goes passed unnoticed. The great room which stands in the centre has been captured in oil paintings and engravings and shows the room on Varnishing Day of the Royal Academy’s Summer Picture Hang. The Royal Academy used to be based here BEFORE it was moved to its new Home in Burlington House { where we now call the Royal Academy of Art }
This drawing shows you the room in the 1770’s, the height of Georgian London, and is now chopped up to make more gallery space.
This part of Somerset house is magnificent – and is worth taking in as an experience as you see this exceptional exhibition – It runs until the 16th May and I would suggest a morning trip so you can see the work without the Crowds – you need to get close. www.courtauld.ac.uk
February 18, 2010
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