When: closing January 12, 2020
The big show at the National Gallery right now is the first exhibit in the United States devoted entirely to Andrea del Verrocchio, an Italian artist and teacher who lived in Florence in the 1400s. Best known for his pupils, among them Leonardo da Vinci, and his patrons, the Medici family, Verrocchio deserves to be honored in his own right, for his enormous talent.
His sculpture of a boy David, victorious over Goliath, dominates the first room, but I was drawn to a portrait of Alexander the Great that pops out of its frame. It's the sort of technique one expects to see in a show of modern art; truly there's nothing new under the sun. Other sculptures, with the paint still intact, seem almost alive - as if they're about to come down off the walls and stride about the room.
But it's not just human forms on display; there's a gorgeous small vase with a lid in the second room that's lovely, both for the agate used and for its shape. It's a reddish-orange color that I've seen only very rarely, and it looks as if it were crafted quite recently.
Verrocchio was an innovator - his work is hundreds of years old, but is fresh and modern and accessible to a 21st century audience. It's a great shame he's overshadowed by da Vinci, which happens even in this show. The National Gallery owns a da Vinci, a portrait of Ginevra de' Benci, and it's on display in the 3rd room of the Verrocchio exhibit. And where were the crowds and phones all pointed in this room? At the da Vinci, of course. A sort of microcosm of what goes on all day every day at the Louvre. The painting is lovely, but there's so much else to see!
Verdict: This show is wonderful, and well worth your time to see. Don't get caught up in who else is in the show; go to see Verrocchio.
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