The Consulate General of Italy in Hong Kong and Macau, the Italian Cultural Institute and the University Museum and Art Gallery (UMAG) of
the University of Hong Kong are honoured to present to the public one of
Italy’s “national treasures” – Venus (ca. 1482) by Florentine
Renaissance painter Sandro Botticelli (1445–1510).
Sandro Botticelli, patronized by noble families including the Medici,
was a master in the Italian High Renaissance, a period of rebirth of
Antiquity, when artistic works were characterised by technical mastery,
heroic composition and humanistic content.
Among Botticelli’s masterpieces is a collection of unique Venus
paintings one of which, a treasure from the celebrated Galleria Sabauda
in Turin, will be on view in Hong Kong for the first time. The
exhibition will be held at UMAG from October 18th through December 15th,
2013.
An iconic image of the high artistic achievement of the
Renaissance (14th–16th centuries), Botticelli’s Venus was a carefully
executed tempera painting on wood that exemplifies the sophisticated
stylistic and humanist values which Renaissance is celebrated for.
Depicted in the nude by Botticelli, the goddess Venus, a symbol of love,
beauty, fertility and prosperity in Greco-Roman mythology, embodies the
ideal art form in illuminating the verisimilitude and beauty of the
human condition.
A comprehensive public outreach programme is being designed by
UMAG to welcome this true sensation to Hong Kong to enchant and to
educate interested members of our community, collectors and scholars,
and students from local and international schools. Lectures, workshops
and seminars will be organised at the museum for the public; and
classes, in collaboration with two Italian scholars in HKU’s Fine Arts
department, will be held for other schools’ students to learn, teach and
exchange art-historical and cultural knowledge.
Deeply inspired by the art of her country and committed to raise
the cultural profile of Italy in Hong Kong, Ms. Alessandra Schiavo,
Consul General of Italy in Hong Kong and Macau, who proposed this
initiative, says: “…[this] magnificent exhibition… allows the general
public to get acquainted with and appreciate first-hand Italy’s rich
cultural roots. Not only is Botticelli’s Venus a timeless and beautiful
gift to humankind, but also the culmination of Italian Renaissance
ideals from which stemmed the cultural and economic rebirth of a whole
European continent.”
Eager to present more international art in Hong Kong, Dr.
Florian Knothe, Director of UMAG, cherishes this opportunity to work
with the Italian Consulate in Hong Kong and shows gratitude for Ms Pansy
Ho’s generous support: “Our fruitful collaboration allows us to present
this unique masterpiece to local students and museum visitors and to
communicate the cultural values and philanthropic and artistic
achievements of the Renaissance”
Passionate about art, culture and history, Ms. Pansy Ho is the
Patron of the “Sandro Botticelli’s Venus” exhibition and the driving
force behind the project. “This exhibition will undoubtedly give the
Hong Kong audience a glimpse of the High Renaissance style in painting,
yet another opportunity to appreciate the magnificent Italian artistic
culture. It will also cement Hong Kong as a venue where
globally-influential European art is appreciated, interpreted and
studied,” says Ms. Ho.
Details of public lectures and seminars as well as the outreach programmes to schools will also be announced soon.
Sandro Botticelli’s Venus – An Italian High Renaissance Masterpiece
Period: October 18th through December 15th, 2013 Time: 9:30am to 6pm, Monday to Saturday;
1 pm to 6pm on Sunday
Venue: University Museum and Art Gallery (UMAG)
of the University of Hong Kong
Enquiry: (852) 2241 5500
Admission: Free admission
Details: Sandro Botticelli, Venus, ca 1482.
Tempera and oil on Wood
H. 177cm x W. 71cm
Galleria Sabauda, Turin