Maíno’s Adorations: Heaven on Earth

Interesting exhibition at the National Gallery of two paintings by Bautista Maino on loan from the Prado.

These pictures are influenced by Caravaggio so act as a complementary show to the current main show “Beyond Caravaggio”. They are also a nice Christmas show as they show the adoration of the shepherds and kings.

They are bright, sharply focused pictures, packed full of figures. I loved the details in them such as some beautiful mushrooms by one of the king’s hats. I also liked the naturalists boy angels, models which could have come straight out of early Caravaggio.

Maino was in Rome shortly after the unveiling of the Contarelli Chapel with Caravaggio’s great St Matthew pcitures. He must also have seen the wonderful Dying Gaul sculpture as he bases on of the shepherds in the foreground of his painting on it.

Although this exhibition only has two pictures in it the commentary on them is brilliants and really illuminates and explains what you are looking at.

Closes on 29 January 2017

Review
Evening Standard

 

 

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