A couple of exhibitions on show in 2014 at the National Gallery of Victoria which may interest members:

Italian Masterpieces From Spain’s Royal Court
16 May 2014 – 31 Aug 2014

The holdings of Italian art in the Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid are unique and unrivalled in museums outside Italy.  Drawn from its magnificent collection, this exhibition of over 70 paintings and 30 drawings presents a rich selection of works spanning 300 years of Italian art, from the early sixteenth to the eighteenth centuries.

More than 70 artists are represented including Raphael, Correggio, Titian, Tintoretto, the Carracci, Poussin and Tiepolo.  The exhibition reflects the taste of the Spanish Royal Court whose Kings and Courtiers avidly collected Italian art.  Successive rulers also commissioned works directly from the artists in Italy or enticed them to Spain to work in the Royal Household.  Many of these works are at the heart of the Prado’s collection and have never before left Spain.

The exhibition is organised by Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid in association with the National Gallery of Victoria and Art Exhibitions Australia.

For full details please visit: http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/whats-on/exhibitions/exhibitions/italian-masterpieces-from-spains-royal-court-museo-del-prado-madrid

Bushido: Way of the Samurai
4 Jul 2014 – 30 Nov 2014

Bushido explores the fascinating world of the samurai who were the warriors, rulers and aristocratic elite of Japanese society for more than 800 years.

From the 12th century through to the end of the Edo period in 1868 the Shogun, regional lords and their warrior retainers (all samurai in their own right) ruled the country and lived to a strict code of ethics. This military aristocracy aspired to a life of spiritual harmony that not only perfected the art of war but also embodied an appreciation of the fine arts that established their life as an art form itself. Throughout these tumultuous times of war and peace samurai virtues of honesty, courage, benevolence, respect, self-sacrifice, self-control, duty, and loyalty combined with their passion for a cultural lifestyle not only established social stability, but also cultivated a legacy of art and culture in Japanese society that continues to this day.

Bushido: Way of the Samurai will focus on samurai as both warriors and men of refined culture. It will showcase the attire of the samurai in the form of armour, helmets, swords and equestrian equipment. It will display the cultural pursuits of samurai in the form of Noh costumes, calligraphic scrolls, lacquer objects and tea utensils and re-live the legacy of bushido through representations of samurai in large screen paintings, dramatic woodblock prints and noble studio photographs.

For full details please visit: http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/whats-on/exhibitions/exhibitions/bushido-way-of-the-samurai