In the Light of Naples : The Art of Francesco de Mura
January 20 – April 2 , 2017 | Pleasant T . Rowland Galleries
In the Light of Naples : The Art of Francesco de Mura , is the first ever retrospective of Francesco de Mura ( 1696 – 1782 ), one of the greatest painters of the Golden Age of Naples . The exhibition features two works from the Chazen ’ s permanent collection and is curated by Arthur Blumenthal , who , from 1968 – 1974 , was the first curator of the Elvehjem Art Center , which became the Chazen Museum of Art .
In Naples , Francesco de Mura ’ s refined and elegant compositions , with their exquisite light and color , heralded the late Baroque style called Rococo , while his later classicist style led to the simplicity and sculptural quality of Neoclassicism . In the Light of Naples reveals the power of de Mura ’ s work through more than forty paintings and drawings , including oil sketches of his great frescoes and many of his key paintings . The exhibition features religious and classical subjects , and portraits . The works are on loan from thirty American and European museums and private collections , including the Metropolitan Museum of Art , the Art Institute of Chicago , and the Museo di Capodimonte in Naples . The show not only explores the art of de Mura and his contemporaries , but also traces the role of Pio Monte della Misericordia , a charitable institution to which the artist bequeathed 192 artworks , four of which will be in the exhibition .
This exhibition has been organized by the Cornell Fine Arts Museum , Rollins College , Winter Park , Florida . Generous support for this exhibition has been provided by : The Brittingham Trust and the Anonymous Fund .
Francesco de Mura ( Italian , 1696-1782 ), Madonna and Child with Infant St . John the Baptist , ca . 1745-50 , oil on canvas , 14 ½ x 11 ½ , Federico Castelluccio Collection , USA