Key takeaways:
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art's new exhibition, "Hidden Faces: Covered Portraits of the Renaissance," is the first to explore the tradition of multisided portraiture from the 15th and 16th centuries.
- These interactive and often portable portraits were designed with covers, boxes, or dual-faced formats to conceal and reveal a primary image, adding layers of meaning and protection.
- The exhibition reunites rare pieces, offers insights into the artists' intentions, and challenges contemporary perceptions of portraiture, revealing the thematic complexity of Renaissance artworks.
# Exhibition Overview
- "Hidden Faces: Covered Portraits of the Renaissance" examines the tradition of covered portraits during the Renaissance, showcasing 60 works by artists such as Hans Memling, Titian, and Lucas Cranach the Elder.
- The exhibition highlights the interactive nature of these portraits, originally designed for special viewings and to protect the artwork from damage.
# Historical Context and Techniques
- Originating in the Netherlands in the early 15th century, multisided portraiture incorporated various forms like sliding wood panels, hinged diptychs, and double-sided panels, drawing from traditions dating back to antiquity.
- Few covered portraits survive today due to damage and display challenges, with some paintings and their covers now residing in separate collections.
# Exhibition Highlights and Discoveries
- A featured pair from the Met's collection, created by Venetian artist Jacometto, exemplifies the intimate and complex nature of these artworks, with one painting hinting at a narrative of bereavement and cultured identity through its reverse imagery.
- The exhibition sheds light on the broader implications of multisided portraiture, suggesting that contemporary viewers and Renaissance artists alike may have undervalued the thematic depth and experimental nature of the artwork on the reverse sides of portraits.
# Closing Thoughts
- Alison Manges Nogueira, the exhibition's curator, hopes visitors gain a deeper understanding of the thematic complexity of Renaissance portraiture and consider the significance of the hidden images and their contributions to the overall narrative of the artworks.
"Hidden Faces: Covered Portraits of the Renaissance" encourages a reevaluation of what we see in Renaissance portraits, prompting a reconsideration of the artworks' original contexts and complexities.
source: Why Were So Many Renaissance Portraits Multisided?