“Holy Conversation” with Giuliano de Medici at Malaga’s MUPAM museum
THE COLLECTIVE EXHIBITION WILL BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC UNTIL 30 APRIL 2023
“Holy Conversation. The Santa Margherita Madonna, by Parmigianino” is the exhibition I am taking part in with ‘Giuliano de Medici’, curated by Mario Virgilio Montañez.
The work I am contributing to the collection is a study drawing of the Tomb of Giuliano de Medici from 2001. The technique used is graphite on sketch paper measuring 42×25.9 cm.
It is a great privilege for me to share a space with such outstanding artists as José de Ribera, Pablo Picasso, Mingorance, and Parmigianino himself.
What’s more, the Mannerist period, which took place between the Renaissance and the Baroque periods, has been an important object of study for me. It brought about a shift, transforming stereotypes and generally accepted standards, instead giving greater protagonism to the artist’s freedom to interpret and experiment. It is a highly artistic process and is strongly linked to the work I do.
Mannerism, a challenge for me
This exhibition, and this work on ‘Giuliano di Medici’ in particular, posed somewhat of a challenge for me, as it is in the Mannerist style, which sparks a great deal of uncertainty.
Even now, in the 21st century, the History of Art has not been able to agree on the true meaning of Mannerism, a subjective and unstable style that came about during the 16th century. The only consensus among the art community is that it is about the ‘maniera’ in which each individual interprets what they see. This artistic limbo of freedom is something that has always caught my attention.
Malaga’s most unique and valuable heritage
The focal point of the exhibition is ‘The Santa Margherita Madonna’, painted in 1529 by Parmigianino in Bologna, after being commissioned by nuns of the Santa Margherita convent. It was later looted by Napoleon Bonaparte, exhibited for years at the National Art Gallery of Bologna, and finally donated to the chapel of the Hospital Noble by Guillermo B. Newbery in 1872.
In the words of the curator, Mario Virgilio Montañez, “the masterpiece of Malaga’s heritage appears in this exhibition alongside works from both the 16th and the 21st centuries to form a dialogue, a ‘sacra conversazione’ exploring five centuries, with a focus on the iconography of the work, Mannerism, and its survival beyond the historical time in which it first rose to prominence, in the Italian Renaissance”.