National Gallery of Australia | Audio Tour | Three Centuries of Italian Art

The Virgin, holding the Christ child, and St Catherine are sumptuously clothed in their heavenly space. In stark contrast St Dominic, from Spain, wears the black cloak and white tunic of his order while the donor, thought to be Domenico Balbi, is also sombrely dressed. A light-filled landscape indicates their earthly realm. The five figures dominate the foreground in this work, which Titian painted in his youth.

Justine of Padua became a martyr to the Christian faith when she was killed by a sword in her breast. Emperor Maximian, who ordered her persecution, sits high on his throne. Saints appeared to Justine in a vision. The dog appears in many of Veronese’s paintings and such profane inclusions in religious works caused him to be questioned by the Inquisition about his decorum. Veronese’s claim to absolute right of artistic licence remains famous as a defence case.

Versatile genius of the Renaissance, Leonardo created this drawing for his wall painting in Milan The Last Supper. The artist defined the role of artist as philosopher when he portrayed the moment Jesus said to the disciples ‘I tell you, one of you will betray me’. The earliest traces of red and black chalk, assumed to be by Leonardo’s hand, remain. This drawing, now more than 500 years old, was considered so important it was continually ‘updated’ and reworked.

This is a study for a ceiling fresco in a church in Genoa. A Genoese who belonged to the Capuchin order he became one of the many foreign residents seeking inspiration in Venice. His modelling of forms with a brush indicates an interest in Barocci, Tintoretto, Ribera and Rubens.

Noah makes a sacrifice on reaching dry land in the ark after the flood. All manner of domestic animals and colourful birds huddle around the family and its polished metal pots and rich textiles. The path of light which begins with the lamb and the white cloth culminates with the dramatic image of God for ‘the odour and the sacrifice pleased the Lord’ (Genesis 8:21). Castiglione worked in Genoa but visited Rome, Naples, Venice and Mantua. Influences on his work included Rubens, Bernini and Cortna. Nicolas Poussinand was also well known for such astonishingly crowded paintings of Biblical journeys.

Canletto’s views of Venice contain a wealth of detail about social and commercial life. The strongly horizontal composition emphasises the contrast of the tilting, active gondola poles against the vertical buildings. Touches of red reinforce the cool water with its shimmering reflections.

A supernatural light illuminates the many figures in this dramatic canvas. Zaccariah was a priest in a temple where the angel appeared to tell him he would become the father of St John the Baptist. The vision rendered him dumb until the birth so that he communicated with his hands to the congregation.

King Solomon is sitting on the elevated plinth at the top of the stairs. The temple focussed attention on the importance of Jerusalem as a major power in the ancient world.

Designed to be seen from below, this image is daring in its perspective and rich impasto colour. The work decorated the vault of Santa Chiara, a church in Naples which was bombed in the Second World War and this preparatory sketch is all that remains.

With his cousin Ludivico, and his brother Agostino, Annibale established an academy in Bologna based on the traditions from the High Renaissance, especially careful preparation, study of anatomy and drawing from life. At 35 Annibale travelled to Rome to commence the decoration of the Farnese Palace, thus re-establishing Rome as the creative centre of painting. This work reveals evidence of naturalism from Bologna, light from Venice and grandeur from Rome. St Margaret, a 3rd century Christian martyr, refused to renounce her faith to marry so was devoured by Satan in the form of a dragon. The cross she carried caused the dragon’s belly to burst open releasing her and she is shown crushing the serpent with her foot. The motto may refer to her gesture, which entreats us to lift up our hearts to the Lord.

Travelling to Egypt to escape the wrath of Herod, the Holy family is seen resting beside a stream. Joseph is in the background, and it may be Salome the midwife who gives cherries a fruit which alludes to Paradise, to baby Jesus while a shepherdess looks on. The distant obelisk and the sarcophagus may refer to their destination or more generally to the sacrifice of Christ.