ABU DHABI // Paintings by two masters of the Italian Renaissance have been acquired by the Louvre Abu Dhabi museum and were revealed last night at Manarat Al Saadiyat.
Madonna and Child by Giovanni Bellini, painted circa 1480-50, and Jacob's Journey by Jacopo Bassano, circa 1565-70, are both part of the key canon in the evolution of Renaissance painting.
The works have entered the permanent collection of the museum, which is a development of the Tourism Development and Investment Company and scheduled to open on Saadiyat Island in 2015.
Images of the works were shown at the fifth instalment of the Louvre Abu Dhabi Talking Art lectures and talks, a monthly platform that showcases the museum's acquisitions and invites speakers to discuss their relevancy to the region.
Previous events have announced collections of Buddhist sculpture, funerary artifacts from Pharaonic Egypt and art produced in the royal courts of the Muslim world.
Zaki Anwar Nusseibeh, the adviser to Ministry of Presidential Affairs and vice chairman of Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage, emphasised the connection between Arab scholarship and the developments in science and the arts in Italy at that time.
"The outstanding achievements of the Renaissance rested on the rediscovery of Greek and Roman texts that had been transmitted through the Dark Ages by the great thinkers of Islamic civilisation," said Mr Nusseibeh.
He also noted the discoveries in the field of optics by Ibn Al Haytham, a scientist and polymath born in Basra in 965, which were instrumental in the development of depth and perspective in Renaissance painting.
Sophie Mouquin, the director of studies for the Ecole du Louvre, agreed, saying: "Renaissance art would have been unimaginable without this development in its visual language."
Mother and Child, depicting the Virgin Mary and the baby Jesus against a stark black background, "demonstrates a finesse of draftsmanship', said Laurence des Cars, the curatorial director of Agence France-Museums.
She called the work "an early masterpiece", and described its artist as, "embodying the transition to the modern, rational way of depiction that we call the Renaissance".
The work by Bassano, painted 80 years later, shows the return of the biblical Jacob to the land of Canaan, yet depicts it in a typical Venetian countryside environment of ochres, greys and bluish tints.
Speakers made connections between the merchant families who were keen patrons powering the boom in Italian art during the Renaissance, and the patronage taking place in the Gulf's art centres today.
Ms des Cars also reiterated the Louvre Abu Dhabi's aspirations to be a "universal museum".
The next instalment of the Louvre Abu Dhabi Talking Art Series, on March 28, will showcase acquisitions of Orientalist painting by western artists of the 18th century.
clord@thenational.ae
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
La Mer lowdown
La Mer beach is open from 10am until midnight, daily, and is located in Jumeirah 1, well after Kite Beach. Some restaurants, like Cupagahwa, are open from 8am for breakfast; most others start at noon. At the time of writing, we noticed that signs for Vicolo, an Italian eatery, and Kaftan, a Turkish restaurant, indicated that these two restaurants will be open soon, most likely this month. Parking is available, as well as a Dh100 all-day valet option or a Dh50 valet service if you’re just stopping by for a few hours.
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Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
UAE WARRIORS RESULTS
Featherweight
Azouz Anwar (EGY) beat Marcelo Pontes (BRA)
TKO round 2
Catchweight 90kg
Moustafa Rashid Nada (KSA) beat Imad Al Howayeck (LEB)
Split points decision
Welterweight
Gimbat Ismailov (RUS) beat Mohammed Al Khatib (JOR)
TKO round 1
Flyweight (women)
Lucie Bertaud (FRA) beat Kelig Pinson (BEL)
Unanimous points decision
Lightweight
Alexandru Chitoran (ROU) beat Regelo Enumerables Jr (PHI)
TKO round 1
Catchweight 100kg
Marc Vleiger (NED) beat Mohamed Ali (EGY)
Rear neck choke round 1
Featherweight
James Bishop (NZ) beat Mark Valerio (PHI)
TKO round 2
Welterweight
Abdelghani Saber (EGY) beat Gerson Carvalho (BRA)
TKO round 1
Middleweight
Bakhtiyar Abbasov (AZE) beat Igor Litoshik (BLR)
Unanimous points decision
Bantamweight
Fabio Mello (BRA) beat Mark Alcoba (PHI)
Unanimous points decision
Welterweight
Ahmed Labban (LEB) v Magomedsultan Magomedsultanov (RUS)
TKO round 1
Bantamweight
Trent Girdham (AUS) beat Jayson Margallo (PHI)
TKO round 3
Lightweight
Usman Nurmagomedov (RUS) beat Roman Golovinov (UKR)
TKO round 1
Middleweight
Tarek Suleiman (SYR) beat Steve Kennedy (AUS)
Submission round 2
Lightweight
Dan Moret (USA) v Anton Kuivanen (FIN)
TKO round 2
The%20Roundup
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THE SPECS
Engine: Four-cylinder 2.5-litre
Transmission: Seven-speed auto
Power: 165hp
Torque: 241Nm
Price: Dh99,900 to Dh134,000
On sale: now
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now