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SistineMadonna turns 5OO Jo Caird reports on the legacyof 'smasterpiece, which is being celebratedin , and highlights someexhibitions of note around Europethis season

It's notoftenthatam4jorexhibitionis dedicated painting by Raphael in Europe", but when the great chronicler ofthelives ofltalian artists in to just one painting but then it's not every day Sistine Mad,onna was first exhibited in Dres- the 16th century wrote only one line about the that a work of the artistic calibre, historical in- den in 1/54,,another Italian artist, Antonio di painting, calling it "atruly rare and extraordi- tercst and contemporary relev'anceof Raphael's Correggio, was the flavour ofthe day in Ger- narywork". Sistiru Madanna celebratesa sooth birthday. many. While everyonewas aware of Raphael's The SKD exhibition explores the paint- One ofonlyahandfirlofRaphaelsfound outside masterworks such as the Vatican'Stanze'in ing's beginnings - with various other paint- Italy, the exhaordinary altaxpieceis ahigh point Rome, the,Sfstin e Mad.onnahad languished ings and drawings by Raphael displayed to ofthewonderfirl Old Masters collection atthe out ofthe public eyein for more than give a senseofthe uniqueness ofthe Sistine Staatliche Kunstammlungen (SKD). 2OOyears. Unlike Rome, Milan andVenice, - but it also considers the work's Andreas Henning, curator of Italian Piacenza was not a Grand Tour destination, rise to fame after its transfer to Dresden. As paintings, has observed the effect the work so no one except the Benedictine monks of increasing numbers ofvisitors were struckby has on visitors - both arthistory experts and San Sisto, for whom the work was commis- the altarpiece, essaysand poetry were writ- those who've come seeking a glimpse of the sioned in 1512, ever saw the painting. It was ten about it and reproductions were produced. mostfamous angelbabies intheworld - and also barelywritten about: Giorgio Vasari, the Henning puts the painting's popularity down is thrilled to be able to give the painting the to Raphael's "very simple but very powerful *heavenly attention it deserveswith 7he Sistine Madon- composition" and the visiort'' he pro- na: Raphaelb iconi,cpainting turns 5OO. duced forthe figure ofthe Madonna. In early t754, an almost unknown altar- The pair ofwinged cherubs at the base piece was removed from the Church of San of the Sistine Madonna are an interesting Sisto in the small northern Italian city of Pia- story in themselves. Appearingfirst in paint- cenza, carried over the Alps and presented at ings before being reproduced as prints and on the court ofAugust III, Elector ofSaxony and porcelain, they had a life oftheir own from King ofPoland. Such ajourney would nor- as early as the end ofthe 18th century. Now, mallybe postponed until the arrival of spring, ofcourse, their little faces can be found on but negotiations for the purchas e of the Sistine kitsch stationary and homeware the world Madonnahadbeen so fraught with diffi culty over. iA.lot ofourvisitors", saysHenning, "are that when the sale finally went through, even surprised to seethey're small and onlytwo of the driving rain and bitter cold ofthe Alps in the angels in the painting". winter couldnt stop August III's agent from The Sistine Madonna: Raphael's iconic dispatching his precious cargo. paintingturns5OO contains over 25Oworks of art and historical artefacts. Henningwas very Buyingapieceofhistory keen that the show have an international feel, August III was so desperateto addthepainting so there are numerous examples ofthe work's to his collection in Dresder5Henningexplains, reception in different cultures and markets, becauseatthetime Raphaelwas'byfarthe most from England to Russia. Given the painting's important painter'i The King bought hundreds significance worldwide today, it is extraordi- ofworlis everyyear,but lrhatwas missingwas naryto consider the absolute obscurity ofthose a painting by Raphael, the unique painting earlyyears as ahumble altarpiece in Piacenza. by Raphael." Used to paying somewhere in Happybirthday Sistine Madonna. t the region of 8oo-t,ooo scudi Romani (the currency ofthe Papal States) for large works, Thn Sistinn Madannn Raphanl's inonit August III handedover 25,OOoscudi Romani p aiint@ turns 5OO is running at the Above:The German Right:Despite reaching fofihe Sistinc Madonna, an enormous amount painterKurt Schwitters the ripeold age of 5OO, Staatliche Kunstammlungen in Dresden, of moneyfor a painting duringthat period. usedthe imagein one the paintinghas lost Germarry until Augtrst 26. Bythebeginning ofthe 19th century says of hisfamous collages none of its beauty www.skd.museum Henning, the work was "the most famous

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Fu.rtherethibitions: There are plenty of worthwhile exhibitions taking placethroughout the European art scene,including an Edward Hopper retrospective in Madrid and Yoko Ono at the Moderna Museet in Stockholm

EDWARD HOPPER The MuseoThyssen-Bornemisza is the primary holder of works by Edward Hopper outsideof the US.This European retrospectiveof the American realist painterpresents a wide-ranging overviewof Hopper'smature career, but also exploreshis formative years. Looking in particularat the influence of early 2Oth century works of art on his oeuvre,the show includes complementary piecesby artistssuch as Edgar Degasand Walter Sickert. PreviousEuropean exhibitions, notably the massive2OO4 travelling show, have proved Hopper to be among the most popular of Americanartists in Europe, EdwardHopper. Room in New York Edward Hopper is running at the Museo 1932 Thyssen-Bornemisza,Madrid, Spain until September 16. Edward Hopper. Conference in www.museothyssen.org Night,1949

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YOKO ONO ROBERTMAPPLETHORPE o3 Grapefruit,Simon |n1964, Yoko Ono published & Schuster,New Grapefruit, Robert Mapplethorpe'ssexually explicit York,197O, poetic orginally a book of instructionsfor acts photographs of acts of sadomasochismand publishedin 1964 of imaginationto take place in the homoerotism were a source of controversyboth @Yoko Ono mind of the reader.An early example during the American artist'slifetime and sincehis of conceptualart, the book has been death in i989. But though the importanceof this o4 Robert reprinted on a number of occasions part of his oeuvre shouldn't be underestimated, Mrnnlathnrno Ajitto,1981 and remainsinfluential today, Thls Mapplethorpe'sother works, includingcelebrity exhibitioncelebrates the work of one portraits and still lifes,make him one of the key of the most iconic female artists alive figures of 2Oth century photography.This exhibition today, presentinga selectionof Ono's of works on loan from the Robert Mapplethorpe 'instruction pieces' from Grapefruit, as Foundation in New York gives a taste of the well as some important early works and photographer'spractice with a selectionof pieces experimentalfilms by the artist reg19sentlngtfe dllfergnt sigoesof f iscu!"9_l Yoko Ono is running at Moderna RobertMapplethorpe is runningat the Ludwig Museet,Stockholm, Sweden until Museum,Budapest, Hungary from 25 Mayto gO September 9. wwwmodernamuseet.se September.www.ludwigmuseum.hu

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