Time with a scythe to cut short time unveils Truth who holds the sun in her left hand while old Lies tumbles from a cloud. This allegory extols the virtues of Tiepolo’s patron, a prominent lawyer, who commissioned it for the ceiling of a vast hall. Tiepolo was a master of Venetian 18th century Rococo ceiling painting.

National Gallery of Australia | Audio Tour | Three Centuries of Italian Art

Giambattista TIEPOLO, Time unveiling truth [Il Tempo scropre la Verita] c.1743

Versatile genius of the Renaissance, Leonardo created this drawing for his wall painting in Milan The Last Supper. The artist defined the role of artist as philosopher when he portrayed the moment Jesus said to the disciples ‘I tell you, one of you will betray me’. The earliest traces of red and black chalk, assumed to be by Leonardo’s hand, remain. This drawing, now more than 500 years old, was considered so important it was continually ‘updated’ and reworked.

Leonardo da VINCI, Study for the head of Christ for The Last Supper [Testa di Cristo] c.1495

Bernini was the greatest Baroque sculptor of the 17th century. He admired the carving of Michelangelo, the classicism of Annibale Carracci and the emotionalism of Guido Reni. He strived to express both earthly character and spiritual state of mind and claimed ‘I have overcome the difficulty of making marble like wax’. Clement Altieri, Pope Clement X, died before this portrait could be completed. Struts of marble remain at the right hand, which is raised in blessing while the left hand holds a Papal ‘bull’ or letter. Bernini carved the head and hands and the rest of the sculpture is attributed to his assistants.

Gianlorenzo BERNINI, Bust of Pope Clement X [Busto di Clemente X] c.1676

Narcissus rejected the love of all, including the love of the nymph Echo and for his cruelty was condemned by the god Nemesis to drown while admiring his own reflection. Employing dramatic naturalism, Caravaggio places the lone figure in a strong, clear light, close to the frame to bring the viewer from the real world to this mythological event. Narcissus’ hand is about to cup the water. The artist probably painted directly on the canvas without preliminary drawings.

Michelangelo CARAVAGGIO, Narcissus [Narciso] c.1595

Travelling to Egypt to escape the wrath of Herod, the Holy family is seen resting beside a stream. Joseph is in the background, and it may be Salome the midwife who gives cherries a fruit which alludes to Paradise, to baby Jesus while a shepherdess looks on. The distant obelisk and the sarcophagus may refer to their destination or more generally to the sacrifice of Christ.

Angelo CAROSELLI, Rest on the flight into Egypt [Riposo nella fuga in Egitto] c.1640-50

With his cousin Ludivico, and his brother Agostino, Annibale established an academy in Bologna based on the traditions from the High Renaissance, especially careful preparation, study of anatomy and drawing from life. At 35 Annibale travelled to Rome to commence the decoration of the Farnese Palace, thus re-establishing Rome as the creative centre of painting. This work reveals evidence of naturalism from Bologna, light from Venice and grandeur from Rome. St Margaret, a 3rd century Christian martyr, refused to renounce her faith to marry so was devoured by Satan in the form of a dragon. The cross she carried caused the dragon’s belly to burst open releasing her and she is shown crushing the serpent with her foot. The motto may refer to her gesture, which entreats us to lift up our hearts to the Lord.

Annibale CARRACCI, St Margaret [Santa Margherita] unknown

King Solomon is sitting on the elevated plinth at the top of the stairs. The temple focussed attention on the importance of Jerusalem as a major power in the ancient world. Designed to be seen from below, this image is daring in its perspective and rich impasto colour. The work decorated the vault of Santa Chiara, a church in Naples which was bombed in the Second World War and this preparatory sketch is all that remains.

G BONITO, King Solomon praying before the Temple of Jerusalem [Dedicazione del tempio di Salomone] c.1750

A supernatural light illuminates the many figures in this dramatic canvas. Zaccariah was a priest in a temple where the angel appeared to tell him he would become the father of St John the Baptist. The vision rendered him dumb until the birth so that he communicated with his hands to the congregation.

Luca GIORDANO, The Archangel Gabriel appearing to St Zachary [L'Arcangelo Gabriele appare a Zaccaria] c.1650

Canletto’s views of Venice contain a wealth of detail about social and commercial life. The strongly horizontal composition emphasises the contrast of the tilting, active gondola poles against the vertical buildings. Touches of red reinforce the cool water with its shimmering reflections.

Giovanni Antonio CANALETTO, The view of San Marco Quay from the Bay [Veduta del Molo di San Marco dal Bacino] c.1730s

Noah makes a sacrifice on reaching dry land in the ark after the flood. All manner of domestic animals and colourful birds huddle around the family and its polished metal pots and rich textiles. The path of light which begins with the lamb and the white cloth culminates with the dramatic image of God for ‘the odour and the sacrifice pleased the Lord’ (Genesis 8:21). Castiglione worked in Genoa but visited Rome, Naples, Venice and Mantua. Influences on his work included Rubens, Bernini and Cortna. Nicolas Poussinand was also well known for such astonishingly crowded paintings of Biblical journeys.

CASTIGLIONE, Noah's sacrifice [Il Sacrificio di Noè] unknown

In Florence, del Sarto probably worked from a life sketch but often departed from the ‘coloured drawing’ and composed his paintings using patches of colour and shade. The Madonna, perhaps modeled on his wife, occupies a compressed space between green curtains and a stone parapet as she supports a child of classical rather than natural proportions. His twisting pose and the strong colours point the way to Mannerism.

Andrea DEL SARTO, Madonna and Child [Madonna con Bambino] c.1515-20

This is a study for a ceiling fresco in a church in Genoa. A Genoese who belonged to the Capuchin order he became one of the many foreign residents seeking inspiration in Venice. His modelling of forms with a brush indicates an interest in Barocci, Tintoretto, Ribera and Rubens.

Bernardo STROZZI, Paradise- the vision of St Domenico [Il Paradiso] c.1620-1621

Justine of Padua became a martyr to the Christian faith when she was killed by a sword in her breast. Emperor Maximian, who ordered her persecution, sits high on his throne. Saints appeared to Justine in a vision. The dog appears in many of Veronese’s paintings and such profane inclusions in religious works caused him to be questioned by the Inquisition about his decorum. Veronese’s claim to absolute right of artistic licence remains famous as a defence case.

Paolo VERONESE CALIARI, Matyrdom of St Justine [Martirio di Santa Giustina] unknown

The Virgin, holding the Christ child, and St Catherine are sumptuously clothed in their heavenly space. In stark contrast St Dominic, from Spain, wears the black cloak and white tunic of his order while the donor, thought to be Domenico Balbi, is also sombrely dressed. A light-filled landscape indicates their earthly realm. The five figures dominate the foreground in this work, which Titian painted in his youth.

Tiziano TITIAN VECELLIO, Sacred conversation: Mother and Child, St Catherine [Sacra Conversazione: Madonna con Bambino e i Santi Caterina e Domenico con il donatore] unknown

This religious drama typifies the arrival of Mannerism in Venice with its heightened colour and uninhibited figures in action. The Virgin and her cousin Elizabeth, soon to become the mother of John the Baptist, are both pregnant. Joseph and Zaccariah observe their embrace. Tntoretto wrote on his wall ‘The drawing of Michelangelo and the colouring of Titian’.

Jacopo TINTORETTO ROBUSTI, The Visitation [La Visitazione] unknown

Audio guide to works from the NGA exhibition Three Centuries of Italian Art, shown at the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra 28 March – 16 June 2002

National Gallery of Australia | Audio Tour | Three Centuries...