Renaissance and Baroque Bronzes from the Hill Collection
January 28, 2014 to June 15, 2014
“Historically, the advent of bronze coincided with the first appearance of the written word, and since then many verses and texts have been devoted to the beauty of bronze. Aeschylus wrote that “Bronze is the mirror of the form; wine, of the heart.” But to look closely at a bronze statue is to see that bronze is more than that. It immortalizes a moment. It captures action, tension, emotion and yes, it mirrors form – but it conquers hearts as well.”
“For much of their history many Renaissance and Baroque bronzes were ‘kept behind closed doors’, owned by kings, royalty and rulers, who viewed them in their private chambers and exchanged them as ambassadorial gifts. The ability to bring such works, that were once the province only of the privileged, into public display makes exhibitions like this all the more exciting – and assembling a collection of bronzes all the more rewarding.”
J. Tomilson Hill, Renaissance & Baroque Bronzes from the Hill Collection
“Historically, the advent of bronze coincided with the first appearance of the written word, and since then many verses and texts have been devoted to the beauty of bronze. Aeschylus wrote that “Bronze is the mirror of the form; wine, of the heart.” But to look closely at a bronze statue is to see that bronze is more than that. It immortalizes a moment. It captures action, tension, emotion and yes, it mirrors form – but it conquers hearts as well.”
“For much of their history many Renaissance and Baroque bronzes were ‘kept behind closed doors’, owned by kings, royalty and rulers, who viewed them in their private chambers and exchanged them as ambassadorial gifts. The ability to bring such works, that were once the province only of the privileged, into public display makes exhibitions like this all the more exciting – and assembling a collection of bronzes all the more rewarding.”
J. Tomilson Hill, Renaissance & Baroque Bronzes from the Hill Collection