There are only three more weeks to experience this landmark international loan exhibition, "The Holy Name. Art of the Gesù: Bernini and his Age," at the ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ÊÓƵÎÞÏÞÖƹۿ´ Art Museum (FUAM).
Don't miss experiencing this exhibition that features artistic treasures from the Roman church of the Gesù never before seen in America: Bernini’s bust of Roberto Bellarmino (patron saint of ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ÊÓƵÎÞÏÞÖƹۿ´), Gaulli’s monumental painted wood model of the apse, a gilt bronze altar sculpture by the versatile painter, draftsman, and sculptor Ciro Ferri, the sumptuous jeweled cartegloria from the altar of St. Ignatius , and the magnificent embroidered chasuble of the church’s great benefactor, Cardinal Alessandro Farnese.
These masterpieces are joined by more than fifty paintings, sculptures, rare books, precious objects, drawings, prints, and historical documents by Bernini, Domenichino, Gaulli, Ciro Ferri, Carlo Maratti, and Andrea Pozzo, among other Italian Baroque masters, on loan from American museums and private collections.
This exhibition gives visitors to the museum an unparalleled window onto the extraordinary works of art found within the walls of the Gesù, the immensely talented artists who created them, and the powerful and strong-willed personalities whose vision, ambitions—and financial means—made it all possible.
As a part of the Gesù exhibition, the FUAM has teamed with University partners to bring enriching lectures and special events to campus. The final lecture in the programming line-up, Bernini's Rome: The Eternal Feast , will be led by Charles Scribner , art historian and author, on Tuesday, May 1 , at 5 p.m. in the Dogwood Room in the Barone Campus Center on campus. The event is free and open to the public, but is requested.
Also, on May 1 , alumni from ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ÊÓƵÎÞÏÞÖƹۿ´'s Creative Writing MFA program will present original poetry and prose inspired by the artwork in the Gesù exhibition . The reading, called ekphrasis vi , will begin in Bellarmine Hall Galleries at 6:15 p.m. Register to attend .
On Thursday, May 17 , at 11 a.m. in the Bellarmine Hall Galleries, Michelle DiMarzo, PhD, curator of education and academic engagement, will lead the final gallery talk for the Gesù: Giovanni Battista Gaulli, Model for the Apse of the Gesù. The event is free and open to the public, but is requested.
Public tours of the exhibition are offered daily at 12 noon; Gallery Spotlight talks are offered daily at 2 p.m; Private tours with a curator are available for a fee; please contact museum@fairfield.edu or (203) 254-4000, ext. 4046.
Published by Saint Joseph’s University Press, Philadelphia, Penn., the exhibition catalogue is the most significant book available in any language on the Church of the Gesù in Rome. Richly illustrated with 246 color images, the catalogue is composed of thirteen essays by an international team of specialists in Italian baroque sacred art and religious culture, followed by a checklist of the works of art in the exhibition.
For more information on the Gesù exhibition, visiting hours, and parking information, please visit the FUAM's website .
