MORETTI FINE ART TO PRESENT 'BODY AND SOUL'

IN THEIR FIRST COLLABORATIVE EXHIBITION, TWO RENOWNED RENAISSANCE AND BAROQUE FINE ART SPECIALISTS, ANDREW BUTTERFIELD OF ANDREW BUTTERFIELD FINE ARTS AND FABRIZIO MORETTI OF MORETTI FINE ART, WILL PRESENT 'BODY AND SOUL: MASTERPIECES OF ITALIAN RENAISSANCE AND BAROQUE SCULPTURE' FROM 21.OCTOBER THROUGH 18.NOVEMBER AT MORETTI FINE ART, 24 EAST 80th STREET NEW YORK. 'WE ARE VERY PLEASED TO PRESENT THIS GROUP OF TWELVE RARE MASTERPIECES OF ITALIAN SCULPTURE, WHICH ARE ON VIEW FOR THE FIRST TIME', SAID ANDREW BUTTERFIELD. 'WE HAVE ASSEMBLED THE BEST OF THE BEST OF MUSEUM-QUALITY WORKS OF ART THAT REPRESENT THE EPITOME OF RENAISSANCE AND BAROQUE ARTISTRY.' ACCORDING TO BUTTERFIELD, SCULPTURE IS ONE AREA OF THE MARKET WHERE IT IS STILL POSSIBLE FOR A COLLECTOR TO ASSEMBLE A GREAT COLLECTION WORTHY OF A TOP INTERNATIONAL MUSEUM. THE WORKS THAT BUTTERFIELD AND MORETTI HAVE ACQUIRED FOR THE EXHIBITION, INCLUDE SCULPTURES BY RICCIO (THE SUBJECT OF A RECENT EXHIBITION AT THE FRICK COLLECTION), VERROCCHIO (LEONARDO DA VINCI'S TEACHER) AND ALGARDI, COMBINE IDEALISM AND NATURALISM OF FORM WITH INTENSITY AND DEPTH OF EXPRESSION. IN THE SELECTED WORKS THE ARTISTS AIMED TO GRASP NOT ONLY THE OUTER APPEARANCE BUT ALSO THE INNER LIFE OF THE FIGURES THEY REPRESENT, HENCE THE EXHIBITION'S TITLE, BODY AND SOUL. THE RANGE OF EMOTION DEPICTED IS EXTRAORDINARY, FROM THE PEACE AND SERENITY OF SANSOVIN'S CHARITY, LITERALLY AN EMBODIMENT OF DIVINE LOVE, TO THE FEAR AND ANGER OF VERROCCHIO'S MEDUSA, A MANIFESTATION OF OLYMPIAN TERROR. ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE EXHIBITION IS MADONNA BY ANDREA RICCIO, A LIFE-LIKE SCULPTURE, WHICH IS THE FIRST SCULPTURE BY THE ARTIST TO BE REDISCOVERED IN MANY YEARS, AND IS THE FIRST WORK BY HIM IN TERRACOTTA TO COME ON THE MARKET SINCE THE THYSSEN MADONNA AND CHILD WAS ACQUIRED BY THE J PAUL GETTY MUSEUM IN 2002. 'THIS IS A SCULPTURE OF EXTRAORDINARY POWER', SAID BUTTERFIELD. 'IT IS LIKE A GREAT BELLINI MADONNA, ONLY IN 3-D.'