Collections PIERRE BONNARD The Evening Meal Paris, about 1903 Oil on canvas 37.4 x 45.5 cm The scene shows Bonnard’s sister Andrée Terrasse and two of her children, Robert, and, silhouetted against the lamp, Vivette. They are seated for an evening meal in the Terrasse’s home at Le Grand-Lemps in the rural south of France. Bonnard … Read more
Rembrandt Harmensz Van Rijn A Sheet of Studies Netherlands, mid-1630s Pen, brown wash and red chalk 220 X 233 mm This sheet contains nine studies of five different figures and is the most important and complete set of studies by Rembrandt to survive intact. Many others appear to have been cut up at a later … Read more
Bartholomeus Breenbergh Joseph Distributing Corn in Egypt Amsterdam, 1655 Oil on canvas 110.5 x 90 cm Joseph, at the top right, oversees the sale of corn during a time of famine. According to the Old Testament, Joseph had stored the fruits of seven bountiful years and the people of Egypt, watched by the Pharoah, to … Read more
Studio of Sandro Botticelli The Virgin Mary, Infant Christ, and Saint John the Baptist Florence, about 1500 Tempera on canvas 130.7 x 91.4 cm Mary arches to the left as she lowers her son, Jesus, towards his cousin, John the Baptist. The elaborate garments that wrap around Mary’s head, neck and shoulders restrict her movement … Read more
Paris Bordone A Mythological Scene Venice, the 1530s Oil on wood 41.7 x 96.3 cm In this pastoral (countryside) scene, women busily harvest the land and pick fruit from a tree. The landscape recedes into a hue of light blues and greens that add depth to the scene. This is contrasted by the vibrancy of … Read more
François Bonvin The Attributes of Painting Paris, about 1879 Oil on canvas 49.4 x 60.5 cm This still life depicts the materials used in its making – including palette and brushes, tubes of paint, a portfolio of drawings, an inkwell and a paintbox. The French artist Bonvin painted the objects in the direct and uncompromisingly … Read more
Edgar Degas Miss Lala at the Cirque Fernando France, 1879 Black chalk with touches of pastel 470 x 320 mm In 1879 Degas made this preparatory drawing of Miss LaLa, an acrobat of mixed European and African parentage. Renowned for her agility, she performed throughout Europe. This daring perspective shows LaLa suspended from the rafters … Read more
Giovanni Bellini Saint Jerome in the Wilderness Venice, about 1455-60 Tempera on wood 44.2 x 30 cm This painting is one of the earliest known paintings by Giovanni Bellini and one of the first Venetian landscapes. The simple combination of beautifully crafted elements reflects Bellini’s youth at the start of his 60-year career. The sunny … Read more
Hippolyte Bellange The Entry of Bonaparte into Milan Paris, about 1822/4 Oil on canvas 44.4 x 60.3 cm Napoleon Bonaparte’s triumphal entry into Milan in May 1796 occurred during a military campaign which saw the rapid conquest of much of the Italian peninsular. Bellangé was commissioned to provide an illustration of the event for a … Read more
Domenico Beccafumi (1484 – 1551) Venus and Cupid Siena, 1519 Oil on wood 71.7 x 13.8 cm Beccafumi was inspired by classical sculptures of strong male bodies. In this androgynous interpretation of Venus (the Goddess of Love), he has softened the masculine shoulders with round breasts and a feminine head. The acidic yellow and pink … Read more
Jacopo Bassano (1510-1592) The Adoration of the Magi Venice, about 1550 Oil on canvas 94.3 x 130 cm A crowd gather in the rolling countryside of the artist’s hometown of Bassano, Veneto. On the left, Joseph and Mary gaze lovingly at their son, Jesus. On the right, two of the magi (wise men) are surrounded … Read more
Edouard Manet A Portrait of Carolus-Duran Montgeron, near Paris, 1876 Oil on canvas 191.8 x 172.7 cm Manet painted this study of the portraitist Emile-Auguste Carolus-Duran (1838 – 1917) when staying at a patron’s country estate near Paris. The two artists were old friends and they agreed to paint each other. Carolus-Duran is shown in … Read more
Giuseppe Cesari Saint Lawrence Among the Poor and Sick Rome, about 1588 Oil on canvas 61.5 x 73.5 cm Saint Lawrence (225-258 AD) was the archdeacon of Rome and was martyred for his Christian faith by Emperor Valerian (199-260 AD). He is positioned on the left, inviting the viewer to look carefully at the people … Read more
Francesco da Rimini The Angel of the Annunciation, Nativity to the Shepherds and Adoration of the Magi Rimini, about 1330-50 Tempera on wood 44.3 x 20.3 cm This panel is divided vertically into three sections, each section containing a story relating to the birth of Jesus. At the top, the Angel Gabriel kneels and faces … Read more
Bernardo Cavallino Saint Catherine of Alexandria Naples, the end of the 1640s Oil on canvas 71.7 x 59 cm Saint Catherine holds the martyr’s palm on top of part of her spiked wheel. She was sentenced to be crushed on the wheel by the Emperor Maxentius because she had condemned the worship of pagan idols. … Read more
Étienne Aubry Paternal Love Paris, exhibited 1775 Oil on canvas 78.7 x 101.6 cm Three generations of a family gather around a humble hearth, forming an image of domestic happiness in a modest setting. When Aubry exhibited the work in 1775 it was praised for its naturalism – the depiction of a range of objects … Read more
Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione Rebecca Led by the Servant of Abraham Rome, about 1650 Oil on canvas 150 x 194.5 cm Rebecca is shown on horseback, making the journey to meet her future husband Isaac. She turns to address Abraham’s servant, who, according to the Old Testament, was guided by God to find Isaac a wife. … Read more
Rosalba Carriera A Portrait of Gustavus Hamilton, 2nd Viscount Boyne (1710 – 1746) Venice, about 1730 – 1 Pastel, heightened with white bodycolour on paper 59.7 x 47.6 cm This striking portrait of Lord Boyne shows him in Venetian carnival dress, wearing a fine ermine trimmed coat, a bauta or lace veil, black tricorn hat … Read more
Attributed to Joos van Cleve Portrait of a Man Probably Antwerp, 1530s Oil on wood 59.8 x 50.2 cm The identity of this man has been lost, though he could have been a scholar – the ring on his right hand is set with what may be a classical intaglio gem. The portrait probably originally … Read more
Valerio Castello The Madonna and Child, with Saint Peter and Saint Paul, Appearing to Saint Bruno in a Vision Genoa, about 1650 Oil on canvas 118 x 145.5 cm Saint Bruno (about 1030 – 1101) is shown in the white habit of the Carthusian monks whose order he founded. In his vision he sees the … Read more