The Italians are famous for many of their great contributions to society: pastas, Ferraris, music, and romance, but, as we all know, it is their stunning artwork that is their greatest achievement. The great masters of the Renaissance - Michelangelo, Da Vinci, Donatello, and Botticelli - belong to Memphis for one more week.
Masters of Florence is brought to Memphis by WONDERS: the nonprofit organization responsible for some of the most incredible exhibitions Memphis has ever seen, including Czars, Splendors of the Ottoman Sultans and Eternal Egypt.
"Masters of Florence is the most important exhibit Wonders has ever produced," said Twyla Dixon, marketing director of Wonders. "It features works from the most important artists we have ever had, and that is why we deem it our most important exhibit."
The exhibit features almost 250 objects from more than 30 museums from Italy and the United States. Memphis is the only North American location for this exhibit. It tells the story of one family, the Medici of Florence, and how their love for beautiful art helped lead Europe out of the Middle Ages and into the modern world.
The Medici family was a family of bankers and, around this time, the Florence banking system became so successful that the gold florin became the official currency of Europe. This financial success brought about a major renovation of the city of Florence and the greatest artists, sculptors and architects were employed. For over 400 years, the Medici family funded the masterpieces of some of the most brilliant artists the world has ever known.
Now, for the first time, the people of Memphis have a chance to come face to face with some of these masterpieces. "Madonna with Child," a sculpture by Donatello, is a beautiful depiction of the Virgin Mary holding baby Jesus in her cloak and trying to feed him an apple. This is a piece from one of the finest and earliest sculptors of the Renaissance. The exhibit also includes sketches drawn by Michelangelo and Raphael, the very slippers that Michelangelo wore, and a hand-written letter to one of his friends. There are paintings by Botticelli, Giotto, and Bernardo Daddi. Portraits of Martin Luther and his wife, as well as Pope Clement the VII, who was the Pope that denied King Henry the VIII a divorce from his wife, which brought about the second split in Christianity - the Church of England - are displayed along with much more.
This is a once in a lifetime experience for the people of this city. Rarely do we have access to such beautiful treasures from some of the greatest artistic minds. Masters of Florence takes you into another world and lets you glimpse some of the work that helped shape our modern world.
