A few meters from the Vatican and on the banks of the Tiber River, one finds Castel Sant'Angelo. This symbolic fortress, which served as a refuge to Pope Clement VII during the Sack of Rome, today is hosting an exposition on Giorgio Barbarelli. The Venetian artist is considered one of the most mysterious artists of the High Renaissance, due to the fact of how little information remains about his life.
His paintings, which are dominated by backlighting, countrysides and an innovative technique for his time, were created without prior drawings on the canvases.
“My favorite part was looking at all of the portraits of people, because it was very interesting to me to see the woman that they painted and how beauty has kind of changed from whenever the paintings were done until today.”
Some visitors to the castle did not even know that there was an exhibition, which came as a welcome suprise.
“It was a very very good surprise because we were very impressed by everything. The ceiling and the paintings it's everything so beautiful.”
“Even so all the paintings here are amazing, I can't believe that I'm here.”
'We didn't know there was kind of a museum in there we were just doing the tour, the classic tour and it's great. It was a surprise to find paintings in here.”
“It's a good way to finish the tour, discovering new paintings.”
There is very little known about this Venetian artist who died at age 34 of the plague. Giorgione left many unfinished paintings, which were later completed by artists like Titian. Today, only six paintings have survived, which are recognized as his works. The best known among them are “The Tempest” and “The Three Philosophers.”
Neither the exact date of his birth nor his death are known, but he is thought to have lived in the sixteenth century. Perhaps it is the great mystery surrounding this artist combined with the ancient walls of the castle which make this exhibition one of the most fascinating combinations of art in the Eternal City.
