Stuart Lochhead Sculpture, 2025
Art history often travels well-trodden paths, following traditional routes that shape our understanding of the past. When it comes to household names, such as Diego Velázquez and Michelangelo Buonarroti, these routes have typically been anchored by the concept of the ‘genius’ and the recognition of the extraordinary talent of individual artists. While valuable, this perspective tends to decontextualise works of art, considering them only in relation to their creators’ biographies and detaching them from broader cultural, artistic, and intellectual currents. This exhibition proposes a different approach. We aim to weave together a narrative that reaches beyond the familiar, looking at connections between artists, patrons, and objects. Such connections are less obvious, or perhaps have been overlooked altogether. By rediscovering these threads, we are not only expanding the story of each work but also bringing them together in a dialogue that transcends time, geography, and context. It is a profound pleasure and unique privilege to be able to do so by focusing on two undisputable masterpieces: Velázquez’s Portrait of Mother Jerónima de la Fuente from the collection of the Araoz family in Madrid, and a recently rediscovered, exquisite cast of a bronze crucifix modelled by Michelangelo. It is rare for a two-object exhibition to produce such a wealth of stimulating considerations, and the incredible stories these objects allow us to tell are a testimony to their artistic and cultural value.
Velázquez’s painting and Michelangelo’s sculpture are exceptional works in their own right. Taken together, they tell a tale of artistic influence, spiritual resonance, and cultural exchange that is deeply linked to the life of two extraordinary early modern women: the Roman mystical poet and patron Vittoria Colonna, and the Spanish nun Jerónima de la Fuente. Their achievements, much like the masterpieces of the two artists who respectively met these women, deserve to be explored and celebrated. To present these works together is a deeply moving experience. It is my hope that this exhibition will inspire conversations, spark curiosity, and offer fresh perspectives on the way in which we appreciate, value, discuss, and acquire art.
Stuart Lochhead
