Bruegel to Rubens: Masters of Flemish Painting

Exhibition at the Queen’s Gallery in Edinburgh of Flemish paintings in the Royal Collection bringing together 51 works from the 15th to 17th centuries.

This was a stunning exhibition. I love this gallery there is something so calming about its space. I also recommend the tape tour which has the advantage of slowing you down and making you think.

There were three main themes to this show portraits, the relationship between Rubens and Van Dyck and landscapes.

The real star was Bruegel’s “Massacre of the Innocents”. A striking work from a distance but even more stunning for the detail close-up. The story of the picture and how, because it was painted shortly after a Hapsburg massacre, it was considered to be too inflammatory so many of the massacred babies are painted over with animals somehow gives it an even more menacing feeling.

The most stunning portrait was Massys’s Erasmus, painted for Sir Thomas Moore. It shows a face of such intelligence and such beautiful detail in the nails in the panelling and the scissors hanging up.

Van Heemskerk’s “Four Last Things” reminded me strongly of Signorelli and I must look to see if there are any links.

The whole show looked at the Flemish virtuosity in creating a heightened reality.

Pictures
Daily Telegraph

Reviews
Scotland on Sunday

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