Scarsdale Curator Linda Wolk-Simon Brings the Art of 17th Century Rome to Fairfield University
- Thursday, 18 January 2018 11:12
- Last Updated: Thursday, 18 January 2018 13:50
- Published: Thursday, 18 January 2018 11:12
- Joanne Wallenstein
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Bernini's Bust of Cardinal Roberto Bellarmino
The exhibition titled, "The Holy Name – Art of the Gesu: Bernini and His Age" runs from February 2 through May 19. It will showcase these extraordinary works of art normally found within the Church of the Gesu, which is the mother church of the Society of Jesus, founded by Ignatius of Loyola in 1540 in the charged religious and political climate of the Counter-Reformation. Visitors will learn about the immensely talented artists who created the works and the powerful and strong-willed personalities whose ambitions and financial means made it all possible.
The big attraction is Bernini's bust of Cardinal Roberto Bellarmino that has never left Rome before. Striking for its lifelike naturalism, it is one of Bernini's early works and particularly meaningful because Roberto Bellarmino (the antagonist of Galileo) is the patron saint of Fairfield University.
Painted Model for the Apse Fresco of the Gesù
The landmark exhibition celebrates Fairfield University's 75th anniversary and presents the five works from the Gesu itself with over fifty paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints, rare books, historical documents and objects from American public and private collections that elaborate the story of the founding of the new religious order, the building of its dazzling church, and the canonization of its first saints. Cartegloria of Saint Ignatius
The exhibition was over two years in the planning, the time it took to negotiate the complicated loans from Italy. Simon went into it knowing that getting even one of these major works of art would be a coup—getting all five that she requested was nothing short of a miracle. Commenting on the exhibit, Philippe de Montebello, Director Emeritus of the Metropolitan Museum of Art said, "If I were still director of the Metropolitan, I would be jealous of Fairfield doing this show. It's simply incredible. It brings to the Fairfield University Art Museum some of the greatest artists working in 17th-century Rome."
The exhibition is free and open to the public and can be viewed at Bellarmine Hall Galleries at the Fairfield University Art Museum from February 1 – May 19, 2018. Hourse are Tuesday – Saturday from 11 am to 4 pm. An audio guide narrated by Paul Lakeland, PhD, Kelley chair and professor of Catholic studies will be available. A lecture series on Italian Renaissance and baroque sculpture is being offered. Visit here for details: Fairfield.edu/museum.
Linda Wolk-Simon
Dr. Wolk-Simon specializes in European art of the 15th-19th century with a concentration on the Italian Renaissance, and has published extensively in her field. She is a highly sought-after speaker, having lectured at museums around the country and spoken at conferences in Europe and the United States. She was also an associate editor and reviews editor of the quarterly scholarly journal Master Drawings for several years. She also spent two years as the Charles W. Engelhard Curator and Department Head at The Morgan Library & Museum in New York City, where she organized a critically acclaimed exhibition on Degas, and was responsible for implementing and directing the Morgan Drawing Institute, a research center devoted to fostering scholarship in the field of old master and modern drawings.
She holds a Ph.D. in history of art and a B.A., summa cum laude, both from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
Fairfield University Art Museum
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