Gustave Moreau (Paris 1826-98), Saint Sebastian, 1870-5 or 1890. Oil on canvas 115 x 90 cm. Paris, Musée Gustave Moreau, inv. 214. Photo © RMN-Grand Palais / René-Gabriel Ojéda

FLORENCE.- Palazzo Strozzi in Florence is hosting an exhibition entitled Divine Beauty: From Van Gogh to Chagall and Fontana running from 24 September 2015 to 24 January 2016. This exhibition with over one hundred works by important Italian artists as Domenico Morelli, Gaetano Previati, Felice Casorati, Lorenzo Viani, Gino Severini, Renato Guttuso, Lucio Fontana and Emilio Vedova, together with international masters like Vincent van Gogh, Jean-François Millet, Edvard Munch, Pablo Picasso, Max Ernst, Georges Rouault and Henri Matisse, sets out to explore the relationship between art and the sacred from the mid-19th to the mid-20th century. Divine Beauty provides visitors with a unique opportunity to compare and contrast a number of famous works of art, observed in a new and different light, alongside pieces by artists whose work is perhaps less well-known today but who, in their own way, have helped to forge the rich and complex panorama of modern art as a whole, not simply in a religious environment. Religious art is presented here as a "genre" in its own right, as an art form that came down from the altar to play a direct role in the artistic debate between the 19th and 20th centuries while at the same time reviving the great themes on which religion and spirituality have been focusing from time immemorial. 

Antonio Ciseri (Ronco sopra Ascona 182-Florence 1891),  The Maccabees, 1857-63. Oil on canvas, 463.5 x 265.5 cm. Florence, Church of Santa Felicita. Photo Antonio Quattrone.

Divine Beauty analyses and sets in context almost a century of modern religious art stretching from the 1850s – when the Roman Catholic Church of Pope Pius IX actively encouraged the most innovative forms of artistic expression – to the 1950s, in a display hosting the best examples of that art to have been produced either in Italy or abroad, highlighting the dialogue, the ties, and at times even the clashes in the relationship between art and religious sentiment. This "divine beauty" takes on the significance of a grace that injects aesthetic substance into the form of works of art, each one of which emanates a different and unique kind of spirituality.

William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1825-1905 La Rochelle), Flagellation of Jesus Christ, 1880. Oil on canvas, 310 x 213 cm. La Rochelle, Musées d'art et d'histoire de La Rochelle, MAH.1881.1.1. Photo © J + M, La Rochelle

After a period during which Christian art was associated with "historicism", an attempt began to be made in the late 19th century to identify an artistic vocabulary suited to modern times. This led in the course of the 20th century to the existence of multiple parallel yet different styles governing the representation of the sacred. This variety of expression is broadly illustrated by the works on display in the exhibition, which range from naturalism and the narrative style echoing the way history was depicted in the late 19th century to the Symbolist research of the early 20th century, and from the exploration of realism in the 19th and 20th centuries to interpretations bordering on the abstract and the downright controversial, as exemplified by the startling work of the Futurists or of Edvard Munch whose Madonna triggered such a storm of controversy that it represents one of the most provocative images of Mary to have emerged at any time in the course of the 19th century. 

Giuseppe Catani Chiti (Prato 1866-Florence 1945), The Saviour, 1900. Oil and gold on wood, 147/175 x 172 cm. Siena, the Basilica of San Francesco. Photo Fabio Lensini, courtesy of the Seminary of Siena.

The key pieces include masterpieces such as: Jean-François Millet's Angelus on exceptional loan from the Musée d'Orsay in Paris, a work that emanates an ancestral spirituality, a universal sense of the sacred that transcends all barriers; Vincent van Gogh's Pietà from the Vatican Museums, a crucial work because, despite his religious and mystic calling, Vincent rarely addressed the sacred in his art, and even when he did so, he took his cue from other artists' work; Renato Guttuso's Crucifixion from the collections of the Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna in Rome, an emblematic work with an intense political connotation which, like Picasso's Guernica, embodies a cry of pain and grief; and Marc Chagall's White Crucifixion from the Art Institute Museum in Chicago, one of Pope Francis's favourite works of art. 

Domenico Morelli (Naples 1826-1901), Mater Purissima, 1879-83. Oil on canvas, 200 x 110 cm.Rome, YUM - National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art, inv. 85.  Superintendent at the Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna in Rome. Courtesy of the Ministry of Heritage and Culture and Tourism - Photo Antonio Idini

THE EXHIBITION 
The exhibition is divided into seven sections. In the introductory section (From Salon to Altar), large paintings of the highest quality testify to the eclecticism in the styles and approaches to the theme of the sacred in the second half of the 19th century, with such works as Antonio Ciseri's The Maccabees and William-Adolphe Bouguereau's Flagellation of Jesus Christ. At the turn of the century, the theme of the Virgin (Rosa Mystica) acquired special significance as the Symbolist aesthetic began to take hold, with artists imbuing the image with their strong desire for the ascetic – a trend effectively illustrated, for example, by Domenico Morelli's Mater Purissima. The exhibits in the very extensive central section are arranged to echo the narrative of the Gospels. The Annunciation to the Virgin Mary is followed by Nativity and Childhood of Christ, Miracles and Parables, The Passion, The Last Supper, The Way of the Cross and The Crucifixion, Deposition and Resurrection (with works by, among others, Glyn Warren Philpot, Maurice Denis, Giuseppe Capogrossi, Odilon Redon, Arturo Martini, Stanley Spencer, Georges Rouault, Otto Dix, Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall, Renato Guttuso, Lucio Fontana and Emilio Vedova).  

Edvard Munch (1863 Løten-Ekely 1944), Madonna II, 1895-1902. Lithograph, hand-colored, 605 x 445 mm. Private collection Ars Longa, Vita Brevis / Tor Petter Mygland, Oslo.

The works are arranged throughout the exhibition in chronological order, comparing modes of artistic expression which are frequently very distant from one another and which, on occasion, address the theme of the sacred with significant and sweeping new takes on modernity, thus highlighting the different trends and clashes of expression in the relationship between art and religious sentiment. 

Vittorio Corcos (Livorno 1859-Florence 1933), Annunciation, 1904. Oil on canvas, 220 x 180 cm.Fiesole, Convent of St. Francis, the Tuscan Province of St. Francis Stigmatized, Order of Friars Minor.

In this context, a special section is devoted to Gino Severini: Mural Decoration from Spirituality to Poetry, which uses a selection of Severini's works to clarify the artist's philosophical dialogue with Maritain. This is followed by a video-installation entitled Architecture, illustrating the multiple solutions adopted between the 19th and 20th centuries in the construction and decoration of Catholic places of worship, also underscoring the close link between architecture and ritual. The penultimate section in the exhibition analyses the depiction of The Church (illustrated in the work of Adolfo Wildt, Scipione and Henri Matisse) with a reflection on the public side of religion; while the final section explores the private and intimate dimension of Prayer (with paintings ranging from Millet's extremely well-known Angelus to Felice Casorati's extraordinarily elegant Virgin). Several major works of art have been specially restored to mark this exhibition. They are Antonio Ciseri's The Maccabees, Giuseppe Catani-Chiti's The Saviour, Vittorio Corcos' Annunciation, Arturo Martini's Prodigal Son and Primo Conti's Crucifixion. 

Glyn Warren Philpot (London 1884-1937), Angel of the Annunciation, 1925, oil on canvas, 112 x 87 cm. Brighton and Hove. The Royal Pavilion & Museums.

As with all Palazzo Strozzi's exhibition, this exhibition too offers visitors the chance to extend their visit to take in sites and works of art in the city of Florence and throughout Tuscany. In particular, visitors have the unique opportunity to take benefit from a joint venture between the Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore and the Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi that has resulted in a single ticket for viewing both the exhibition in Palazzo Strozzi and the new Grande Museo del Duomo (which will be opening to visitors on 1 November 2015), the Baptistry, the Crypt of Santa Reparata, the Dome and the Bell Tower of the cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore). This joint venture will allow visitors to travel through eight centuries of art from the Middle Ages to the present day, exploring the relationship between art and the sacred in works that have marked not just the history of Florence but the entire development of art history in Europe from the 11th to the 20th centuries: from Michelangelo's Bandini Pietà to Van Gogh's Pietà, from Luca della Robbia's Choir Loft to Millet's Angelus, and from Donatello's Penitent Magdalen to Guttuso's Crucifixion.

Maurice Denis (1870 Granville-Paris 1943), Annunciation at Fiesole, 1928. Oil on canvas, 65.3 x 92 cm. Private collection. Courtesy of Christies Images

Gaetano Previati (Ferrara 1852-Blackboard 1920), Georgica, 1905. Oil on canvas, 168 x 215 cm. Vatican City, Vatican Museums, Collection of Contemporary Art, inv. 43354. Photo © Governor of Vatican City - Direction of Museums.

Odilon Redon (Bordeaux 1840-Paris 1926), Flight into Egypt, 1903. Oil on canvas, 45.4 x 38 cm. Paris, Musée d'Orsay, bequeathed by Mme Ari Redon according to Functional the wishes of her husband, the artist's son, 1984 inv. RF 1984-50. Photo © RMN-Grand Palais (Musée d'Orsay) / Hervé Lewandowski

Maurice Denis (1870 Granville-Paris 1943), Nazareth, 1905. Oil on canvas, 114 x 162 cm.Vatican City, Vatican Museums, Contemporary Art Collection, inv. 23158. Photo © Governor of Vatican City-Directorate of Museums

Baccio Maria Bacci (Florence 1888-1974), The Prodigal Son, 1925. Oil on canvas, 70.5 x 60.5 cm. Milan, the Museum of the twentieth century, inv. 4736. Museo del Novecento, Milan "Copyright City of Milan - all rights reserved by law." © Mondadori PortfolioElecta / Luca Carra.

Arturo Martini (Treviso 1889-Milan 1947), Prodigal Son, 1927. Bronze, 219 x 149 x 100 cm. Acqui Terme, "Jona Ottolenghi," Nursing Home. Photo Studio Gonella

Costetti Giovanni (Reggio Emilia 1874 Settignano-1949), Christ's Entry into Jerusalem, c. 1923-6. Oil on cardboard, 70 x 101 cm. Florence, Gallery of Modern Art in Palazzo Pitti, inv. Newspaper in 2845. Courtesy of the Ministry of Heritage and Culture and Tourism.

Felice Carena (Cumiana 1879-Venice 1966), Apostles, 1926. Oil on canvas, 135 x 190 cm. Florence, Gallery of Modern Art in Palazzo Pitti, General Catalogue 432; Academy 596. Courtesy of the Ministry of Heritage and Culture and Tourism.

Lucio Fontana (Rosario de Santa Fe 189-Varese 1968), Via Crucis (Stations II), 1955-1956, 41.5 x 21 x 10 cm each. Ceramics with reflective glaze. Milan, Diocesan Museum, from the Lombardy Region, invv. MD 2011.137.002.

Lucio Fontana (Rosario de Santa Fe 189-Varese 1968), Via Crucis (Stations III), 1955-1956, 41.5 x 21 x 10 cm each. Ceramics with reflective glaze. Milan, Diocesan Museum, from the Lombardy Region, invv. MD 2011.137.003.

Lucio Fontana (Rosario de Santa Fe 189-Varese 1968), Via Crucis (Stations XIII), 1955-1956, 41.5 x 21 x 10 cm each. Ceramics with reflective glaze. Milan, Diocesan Museum, from the Lombardy Region, invv. MD 2011.137.013.

Georges Rouault (Paris 1871-1958), Ecce Homo, 1952. Oil on plywood, 50 x 45 cm. Vatican City, Vatican Museums, Contemporary Art Collection, inv. 23666. Photo © Governor of Vatican City - Direction of the Museums © Georges Rouault, by SIAE 2015.

Georges Rouault (Paris 1871-1958), The Veil of Veronica, 1946. Oil on cardboard on wood, 51 x 37 cm. Vatican City, Vatican Museums, Contemporary Art Collection, inv. 23690. Photo © Governor of Vatican City - Direction of the Museums © Georges Rouault, by SIAE 2015.

Otto Dix (Gera 1891 Singen-1969), Christ and Veronica - sixth Station of the Cross, 1943. Oil on wood, 81 x 100 cm. Vatican City, Vatican Museums, Contemporary Art Collection, inv. 23723. Photo © Governor of Vatican City - Direction of the Museums © Otto Dix, by SIAE 2015

Pablo Picasso (Málaga 1881-Mougins, 1973), Christ on the Cross, 1896-7. Oil and charcoal on paper, 73.5 x 54.4 cm. Barcelona, Museu Picasso, donated by Pablo Picasso, 1970, MPB 110 049. Museu Picasso, Barcelona / Gasull © Succession Picasso, by SIAE 2015

Primo Conti (1900 Florence-Fiesole 1988), Crucifixion, 1924. Oil on canvas, 190 x 130 cm. Florence, Convent of Santa Maria Novella. Photo Antonio Quattrone.

Marc Chagall (Moishe Segal; Vitebsk-1887 Saint-Paul-de-Vence 1985), White Crucifixion, 1938. Oil on canvas, 155 x 139.8 cm, Chicago, The Art Institute of Chicago, Gift of Alfred S. Alschuler, 1946,925. Chagall © ®, by SIAE 2015.

Renato Guttuso (Bagheria 1911-Rome 1987), Crucifixion, 1940-1. Oil on canvas, 198.5 x 198.5 cm, Rome, YUM - National Gallery of Modern Art and Contemporary Art, inv. 8549 Superintendence the Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna in Rome. Courtesy of the Ministry of Heritage and Culture and Tourism - Photo © Antonio Idini Renato Guttuso, by SIAE 2015

Graham Sutherland (London 1903-80), Study for the Crucifixion, 1947. Oil on masonite, 97 x 118 cm. Vatican City, Vatican Museums, Contemporary Art Collection, inv. 23591. Photo © Governor of Vatican City - Direction of Museums.

Pericles Fazzini (Grottammare 1913-Rome 1987), Deposition, 1946. Bas-relief, bronze, 180.5 x 85 x 3.5 cm. Rome, Galleria d'Arte Moderna in Rome Capital, AM 2843 © Roma Capitale © Pericles Fazzini, by SIAE 2015

Fausto Melotti (Rovereto 1901-Milan 1986), Deposition, 1933. Bronze, 86 x 60 x 26 cm. Private collection. Photo Elit Cantu.

Felice Carena (Cumiana 1879-Venice 1966), Deposition, 1938-9. Oil on canvas, 197 x 145 cm. Vatican City, Vatican Museums, Contemporary Art Collection, inv. 23083. Photo © Governorate of Vatican-City Department of Museums.

Vincent Van Gogh (1853 Groot Zundert-Auvers-sur-Oise, 1890), The Pietà (after Delacroix), c. 1890. Oil on canvas, 41.5 x 34 cm. Vatican City, Vatican Museums, Contemporary Art Collection, inv. 23698. Photo © Governorate of Vatican-City Department of Museums.

Tullio Garbari (Pergine Valsugana 1892-Paris 1931), The Deposed, 1929. Oil on cardboard, 49 x 34 cm. Florence, Florentine Civic Museums, Collections of the twentieth century, MCF-DR 2004-21546. Courtesy of the Civic Museums of Florence.

Émile Bernard (Lille 1868-Paris 1941), Resurrection, 1924-5. Oil on cardboard, 69 x 96 cm. Vatican City, Vatican Museums, Contemporary Art Collection, Gift of Abbé Pierre Tuarze, acq. 1963 inv. 22984. Photo © Governorate of Vatican-City Department of Museums. 

Gino Severini (Cortona 1883-Paris 1966), Rough sketch for the decoration of the interior of the church of Saint-Pierre in Freiburg, towards the altar, 1931.Tempera, gold and silver on cardboard, 55.5 x 41.0 cm. Rome, Romana Severini Brunori Collection. Photo Photographic Art, Rome © Gino Severini, by SIAE 2015

Gino Severini (Cortona, 1883-Paris, 1966), Sketch for the decoration of the interior of the church of Saint-Pierre in Freiburg from the lateral vessel, 1931. Tempera on paper, 56.0 × 41.5 cm. Rome, Romana Severini Brunori Collection. Photo Photographic Art, Rome © Gino Severini, by SIAE 2015

Space, Light, sacredness, 2015. Video installation. Triptych on three vertically-mounted 65 "screens . Duration: 12 minutes. Concept and directed by: Vincenzo Capalbo, Marilena Bertozzi. Production: Art Media Studio, Florence. 

Father Willibrord (Jan) Verkade (Zaandam 1868 Beuron-1946), Mary and Eve (Immaculate Conception and Original Sin), 1905, 5.21 x 16 cm. Beuron, Kunstarchiv der Benediktiner-Erzabtei St. Martin, inv. K 1754. 

Scipione (Gino Bonichi; Macerata 1904 Arc-1933), The Cardinal Dean (Portrait of Cardinal Vannuttelli), 1930. Oil on wood, 133.7 x 117.3 cm. Rome, Galleria d'Arte Moderna in Rome Capital, AM © 1081 Roma Capitale.

Giacomo Manzu (Giacomo Manzoni Bergamo 1,908-Ardea 1991), Great Cardinal, 1955. Bronze, 209 x 114 x 130 cm. Venice Civic Museums. Foundation of Venice, the International Gallery of Modern Art in Ca 'Pesaro, inv. 2126. 2015 © Stock Photo - Civic Museum Foundation of Venice © Giacomo Manzu, by SIAE 2015

Henri Matisse (Le Cateau-Cambresis in 1869-Nice 1954), Green Chasuble, 1951. Silk, 127 x 192 cm. Vatican City, Vatican Museums, Contemporary Art Collection, inv. 23384. Photo © Governorate of Vatican-City Department of Museums © Succession H. Matisse, by SIAE 2015

Jean-François Millet (1814 Gréville Barbizon-1875), Angelus, 1857-9. Oil on canvas, 55.5 x 66 cm. Paris, Musée d'Orsay, bequeathed by Alfred Chauchard, 1910, inv. RF 1877 © Photo RMN-Grand Palais (Musée d'Orsay) / Hervé Lewandowski.

Felice Casorati (Novara 1883-Turin 1963), The Prayer, 1914. Tempera on moleskin, 130 x 120 cm. Verona, Gallery of Modern Art Achille Forti, inv. 25238-1C-3763, the City of Verona, Gallery of Modern Art Achille Forti © Felice Casorati, by SIAE 2015

María Blanchard (Santander 1881-Paris 1932), Girl at her First Communion, 1914-20. Oil on canvas, 180 x 124 cm. Madrid, Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, inv. AS07281 

Lorenzo Viani (1882 Viareggio-Host 1936), Blind Man's Prayer, 1920-3. Charcoal, tempera and oil on cardboard, 96.6 x 66.5 cm. Viareggio, Galleria d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea "Lorenzo Viani" donation Lucarelli, inv. 4770

Cur of St. Peter (Christmas shoe; Desenzano del Garda in 1897-Venice 1946), Prayer, 1932. Oil on wood, 80 x 60 cm. Rome, YUM - National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art, inv. 3291. Superintendence the Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna in Rome. Courtesy of the Ministry of Heritage and Culture and Tourism -Photo Antonio Idini