Two masterpieces coming to the Art Gallery of Ontario
I’m reading with excitement that the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto is reopening soon. A new expansion to the gallery was designed by renowned architect Frank Gehry. When unveiled sometime in 2008 (likely in November), the art gallery will house two new masterpieces that I can’t wait to see.
Bernini’s “Corpus” will be a wonderful addition to the gallery’s sculpture collection. Valued at $50 million, it was donated to the gallery by collector Murray Frum in 2007. Only 3 bronze casts were made of the life-sized ”Corpus”, and two survived to this day. The other one, a smaller version is in Spain. What makes this piece so special is that was part of Bernini’s personal collection.
The second piece that makes the waiting worthwhile is Rubens’ “The Massacre of the Innocents”. Canadian Kenneth Thomson purchased the painting for about $86 million US, the highest amount paid for an Old Master at auction. “The Massacre” was attributed to one of Rubens’ assistants until 2001, when it was put up for sale by its owner and examined closely by experts. The owner disliked the painting so much, she lent it to a monastery in Austria, where it hung in a hallway so dark, flashlights had to be used for a closer look! Its style and characteristics were very similar to “Samson and Delilah”, painted around the same time, in 1611. Therefore, the team determined it was an original Rubens.
I would like to see those two works too and I’ll bet you’ll have to stand in line. Here in the Prado there are eighty-eight Rubens’–few as good as that one–and most people pass them by. It’s a shame that subject is so disagreeable.
There are no Berninis in Spain that I know of. The Thyssen Museum used to exhibit the St. Sebastian he carved when he was seventeen but it’s gone now. You’ll have to tell us what you thought after seeing it.
Ah, the crowds. Thanks for the reminder. I want to see a little more than Christ’s little toe.