An art exhibition dedicated to the Golden Age of Dutch painting has opened in Bologna. Despite the richness of the exposition, the "Girl with a Pearl Earring" became a real icon of the exhibition. More than one hundred thousand people have already purchased tickets for the exhibition, just to look at it.
Vermeermania in Bologna
Mass psychosis on "Girl with a Pearl Earring"
The exhibition at the Palazzo Fava opened yesterday, February 8th, and runs until March 25th. Numerous paintings are provided by The Hague Royal Gallery Mauritshuis. But Bologna went crazy over Girl with a Pearl Earring. Already booked 120 thousand tickets to the exhibition, and in general at least 220 thousand visitors are expected. "Perhaps we will reach the numbers in 300 thousand visitors", - rubs his hands Marco Goldin, the pope of the blockbuster exhibition. Who knows. One thing is certain: judging by turns in front of the Palazzo Fava, the real Vermeermania captured Bologna.
Such excitement around the "Girl" can only be explained by the success of the novel of the same name by Tracy Chevalier, in which the Hollywood film was shot with Scarlett Johansson in the title role.
Essentially the perfect ad campaign. Today it is one of the most famous, cited and copied works in the world. The picture is painted in oil, its size is 44.5 centimeters high and 39 centimeters wide. It is smaller in size than Gioconda Leonardo, but the workmanship deserves the same fame.
At the same time, Mona Lisa has not left the Louvre since 1974, and Girl with a Pearl Earring has been traveling the world for a couple of years.
Vermeer is usually exhibited at the Mauritshuis Gallery in The Hague, but it was closed to expand the area, and in order not to lose profit, the gallery management sent their masterpiece on a world tour, "framed" by Rembrandt's works. Nevertheless, Bologna turned out to be the only European city in which from the first days of the exhibition such a frenzied delight from the picture appeared, reminiscent of mass psychosis.
It should be noted that not without criticism. So, Vittorio Sgarbi described the exhibition as "worthless."
He drew attention to the fact that, lining up to look at the picture-icon of the Dutch master, people forget about no less significant, but much less advertised masterpieces of Bologna itself. Recall, at least, the dynasty of artists of Carracci, whose works are exhibited in the same Palazzo Fava, where Vermeer is visiting. Moreover, Philippe Daverio, speaking about the exhibition, expressed himself in the spirit that for him, a girl with a pearl earring looks more like a Barbie doll than a Mona Lisa.
In conclusion, it is worth mentioning that “The Girl with the Pearl Earring” is not the only Vermeer masterpiece on display. In addition to her, at the exhibition you can see the picture "Diana and the Nymphs", which is the first work written by the artist. In addition, visitors to the exhibition will have the opportunity to see pictures not only of Vermeer, but also of Rembrandt, Frans Hals, Terborch, Klee, Van Goyen, Van Hontorst, Hobbem, Van Reusdal, Stein ... Who are they? Artists to whom the same queue would not have gathered if they had not exhibited next to Vermeer, even if they are the same representatives of the Golden Age of Dutch art.
