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Raphael's 'Madonna of the Pinks' comes to a gallery near you! This exquisite masterpiece was acquired by the National Gallery with the assistance of the Heritage Lottery Fund, the National Art Collections Fund, the American Friends of the National Gallery and through public appeal in 2004, and will begin its nationwide tour of the UK on 1 May. It will be exhibited at Manchester Art Gallery until 27 June 2004, and will then tour, over a period of one year, to the National Museum & Gallery in Cardiff (3 July-19 September 2004), the McLellan Galleries in Glasgow (29 January-10 April 2005) and The Bowes Museum, County Durham (16 April-26 June 2005). The painting will also return to London to take pride of place in the National Gallery's major 'Raphael' exhibition (20 October 2004-16 January 2005).
Raphael (1483-1520) was one of the great artists of the Italian High Renaissance. He is particularly celebrated for his numerous Virgin and Child paintings, which are exceptional for their beauty, grace and idealisation of the human form. The 'Madonna of the Pinks' (1506-7) is one of his most tender renditions of this subject. Throughout its tour of the UK, the picture will be exhibited alongside two representations of the same theme, also from the National Gallery: Ghirlandaio's beautiful yet traditional and formalised 'Virgin and Child' (probably about 1480-90), and the latest, Titian's almost abstract 'Virgin and Child' (probably 1570-6). Together, the three pictures will show how painted representations of the Mother and Child evolved over 100 years, and will demonstrate the great achievement of the Renaissance in emphasising the humanity of these familiar subjects.
All four tour venues have enthusiastically embraced the opportunity to exhibit these three paintings. Manchester Art Gallery will supplement the exhibition with a small display of images of the Virgin and Child from its own collection. This will comprise two early Renaissance panel paintings, the Italian 'Virgin and Child with the Goldfinch', by a follower of Bernardo Daddi (about 1350), and the Flemish 'Virgin and Child' (late 1400s), by the Master of the Magdalen Legend. The third piece will be a stone sculpture, 'Mother and Child' (1925) by Henry Moore.
The National Museum & Gallery in Cardiff plans to place the National Gallery loans within the context of two of its own Renaissance images of the same subject, by Cima da Congeliano and Amico Aspertini. The McLellan Galleries in Glasgow will exhibit the 'Madonna of the Pinks' in its Italian Gallery, alongside other paintings from the same period. The Bowes Museum, County Durham, will include works by Sassetta, de Biondo and Solario as part of its display.
The nationwide tour of Raphael's 'Madonna of the Pinks' is part of the National Gallery's commitment to broadening access to its collection, ensuring that its paintings are seen by as many people as possible.
For further information, please contact Nathalie Griffiths at the National Gallery Press Office on Tel: 020 7747 2865; email: nathalie.griffiths@ng-london.co.uk
A photocall will take place at Manchester Art Gallery, Friday 30 April, 12pm. For further information please contact Ambreen Ahmad on Tel: 0161 235 8864; email: a.ahmad@notes.manchester.gov.uk
Notes to editors: Raphael's 'Madonna of the Pinks' was purchased by the National Gallery from the Duke of Northumberland for £22 million after the deduction of tax from a gross figure of £35 million on 13 February 2004.
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