The Easel

27th November 2018

Lorenzo Lotto Portraits review: National Gallery show uncovers a forgotten Renaissance master

To be blunt, Lotto was out-competed in Venice by Titian. Consequently, he mostly worked in Italy’s lesser towns. There, the talent that may have rankled Venice’s great and good could be fully revealed – portraits with great psychological depth. As one critic has noted, “One of the most interesting painters of the Renaissance rather than one of the best.”

Gainsborough’s Family Album review – the powerfully affecting work of a lifetime

Gainsborough liked landscapes but only did society portraits for the money. Portraits of his family were another matter. Advertisements of his capabilities they may have been, but “what is so compelling about these family portraits, seen en masse, is the paradoxical combination of light touch and deep emotion.” More images are here.