Manchester Renaissance
About the Artwork
Recognised by the Royal Academy of Arts as part of their Young Artists Summer Show in 2022. Available to view on their website here.
A scene of Manchester’s Cornbrook tram stop, graced with famous figures of the Renaissance and Pre-Raphaelite era. The famous Alforni couple from Jan Van Eyck’s ‘The Alforni Portrait’ (1434) waits for the approaching tram on the platform whilst a knight looks on at his lover from John Waterhouse’s ‘Lamia’ (1909). The ‘Farmer’s Daughter’ from John Everett Milais’s ‘Milking Time’ (1863) strolls along the street and Botticelli’s iconic Venus from ‘The Birth of Venus’ (1486) stands gracefully in the artificial streetlights.
Oil (The Alfornis, Knight and Lover, Farmer’s Daughter and Venus) painted onto a printed woven canvas.
Artist proof, so it may have signs of wear or marks.
This piece measures 100cm x 200cm.
Get in touch
Gallery
About the piece:
The ‘Manchester Renaissance’ includes characters from ‘The Arnolfini Portrait’ by Jan Van Eyck, ‘Lamia’ by John William Waterhouse, ‘Farmer’s Daughter’ by John Everett Millais and ‘The Birth of Venus’ by Sandro Botticelli.
This painting captures a moment in modern society, showing the effects COVID-19 has had on our daily lives. I then contrasted this with the romanticism of the Renaissance.
Elements of the pandemic linger: the man with the mask, who looks on at the knight and his lover and the sign ‘WE MISSED YOU’ above Venus’s head. I did this to reflect the contemporary Renaissance, returning to the light of life after being locked down and isolated in our homes for so long. I felt this was a strong parallel to the Renaissance of the 15th century, the rebirth of civilisation after the darkness and plague of the Dark Ages. In both instances, a new appreciation for society was discovered.
It continues the motif throughout my pieces whereby the romantic and beautiful paintings grace a very urban, almost brutalist setting. Our lives today are nearly dystopian and highly mundane, and our surroundings reflect this. These classical figures bring light to the banal reality of today and allow us to reflect on the beauty of the past.