Parmigianino: Visions of a Visionary

Excellent three-week online course from the National Gallery focusing on Parmigianino’s “Vision of St Jerome” from 1526 which was the subject of a small exhibition at the gallery at the time.

Richard Stemp used the six sessions to gradually broaden out from the painting itself to the life of the artist and then onto themes which the painting highlighted. It was cleverly structured and covered a lot of ground.

Week one focused on the painting and the exhibition discussing its context, influences and composition. He then looked at the life of the artist and his other works.

In week two we looked at the role of women linked to the painting beginning with a useful overview of the history of painting the Virgin Mary and the different archetypal images placing this work within ideas of the Immaculate Conception. We then looked at women as commissioners of art as this work had been commissioned by a widow, Maria Bufalini in memory of her husband. Stemp ran though examples of paintings commissioned by women in the National Gallery and outline the barriers to them doing this.

In the last week we started by looking at the Sack of Rome in 1526 as a significant story in the painting’s history is that German soldiers discovered Parmigianino painting the work during the Sack but were so amazed by the work they left him to complete it. It’s a topic I have often struggled to understand but I think I grasp it now. We thin finished by discussing the work and how it fits the Mannerist style. We discussed what the style was and what its influences were. 

All in all a fascinating course which built over the three weeks.

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