Renaissance Art along the Danube

The first of a series of exhibitions examining ‘The History of Slovak Fine Art’

Take advantage of your visit to Bratislava any time between December 18, 2009 and March 28, 2010 to visit the Slovak National Gallery’s Esterhazy Palace along the Danube River, which plays host to the Renaissance exhibition, the first in a series of shows examining ‘The History of Slovak Fine Art’ from the 15th to the 20th century. The Renaissance exhibition comprises artworks that originated from this territory or abroad but were related to Slovakia, between the Gothic and Baroque periods.

Curated by Zuzana Ludiková, the exhibition gives viewers a unique opportunity to zoom in that very productive period and its art. The exhibits are ensembled from the collections of the Slovak National Gallery and represents the artistic creation of various European schools: Mannerism (H. van Aachen, D. Beccafumi, J. Brueghel), Dutch and Flemish 17th century painting (J. van Goyen, F. Francken, H. ten Oever) and Italian painting from the 16th to the 18th centuries (D. Fetti, A. Carraci, P. Batoni). Though small in number, English, German and Spanish painting is also included, thus providing an overall view of the transformation of art between 1500 and 1800.

As part of its long-term program The History of Slovak Fine Art, the Slovak National Gallery is also presenting a popular scientific publication with the title Renaissance, edited by Ivan Rusina, which will be followed by similar works entitled Baroque, 20th Century and Gothic. This cycle of exhibitions and publications strives to provide a comprehensive overview, a survey of fundamental knowledge and if possible, representative documentation from the history of fine art related to the historical territory and cultural links to Slovakia.

Situated in two historical buildings along the Danube river, in the Water Barracks and in the Esterhazy Palace, the Slovak National Gallery is the leading gallery in the Slovakia and provides access to a crucial part of Slovak cultural heritage, mostly in visual arts.