RAFAEL AND THE DEFINITION OF BEAUTY: FROM THE DIVINE PROPORTION TO GRACE

In Raphael and the definition of beauty: From the Divine Proportion to Grace, important works of Italian origin were brought together that, directly or indirectly, came close to or were legatees of Raphael’s production. The exhibition anticipated the commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the artist’s death (1483-1520).

e exhibition, presented at Centro Cultural FIESP, was curated by Elisa Byington and dedicated to the analysis of the paradigmatic transformation of the concept of beauty that took place in the first decades of the 16th century. In that period, beauty, previously associated with the canon, came to recognize subjective appreciation, based on elements such as elegance and naturalness. This new understanding of beauty, called “grace”, had Rafael as its most famous representative. In addition to the artist’s paintings, the exhibition consisted of rare books of the time, engravings from his studio and works by several painters from his immediate surroundings or not.

The Instituto Bardi / Casa de Vidro collaborated with the loan of an important work from its collection, the Sagrada Família with St. John the Baptist and an angel. Acquired from the Marquis Cattaneo by the Bardi couple and attributed to the circle of Andrea del Brescianino, the painting is dated between 1525 and 1530. This work was included in the exhibition in its last module, dedicated to Difusão da Maneira, an axis dedicated to artists who were influenced or were inspired by Rafael and his style.