Antonello da Messina

Antonello da Messina (ca. 1430–1479) was one of the most innovative and influential painters of the Quattrocento. Trained in the brilliant artistic climate of Naples, he traveled to Venice in 1475, where his art had a profound impact on Giovanni Bellini and other Venetian painters. His portraits marked a new stage in the evolution of that genre in Italy. Three of his masterpieces are on view at the Metropolitan Museum, including the compelling Virgin Annunciate—a hauntingly beautiful and enigmatic work that recalls Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa.

The exhibition was organized and made possible by the Cultural Commissioner for the Sicilian Region, Hon. Alessandro Pagano, and the Foundation for Italian Art and Culture, with the generous support of Bulgari and ACP Group.

Additional support has been provided by the Gail and Parker Gilbert Fund and the Italian Cultural Institute of New York.

The exhibition catalogue is made possible by the Drue E. Heinz Fund.

The exhibition is supported by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities.

Pressetext

Antonello da Messina: Sicily’s Renaissance Master