
Great Pairings
From 28 June to 05 July 2024
The Daniel Katz Gallery presents Great Pairings, an exhibition during London Art Week.
Since antiquity, artists have tackled the depiction of figures and scenes from history, from the religious to the mythological to contemporary commentary. A prominent way artists have done this is through the juxtaposing and interrelating of pairs of figures. Pairings complement, they conflict, they combat, they combine. The interrelationship of the paired figures provides the artist with an opportunity to tell a story, express an idea, or document a culture or the status of individuals.
From Adam & Eve to Cane and Abel, Hercules and Antaeus to Anthony and Cleopatra, the connection between the artist and their chosen subjects, the mediums used and the overall effect of their portrayal is explored in this exhibition. We will showcase important pairs of painting and sculpture, carefully selected for their visual impact, quality and historical importance.
Our highlight for London Art Week is an exceptional pair of bronze figures by Barthélémy Prieur (1536-1611). The two figures depict an elegant cavalier with a plumed hat and a lady carrying a basket and fruit. Each positioned with one leg forward, almost in a dance-like position, they turn slightly towards each other; the gestures and attributes of which may be interpreted as being allusively flirtatious and mysterious. The present pair is perhaps the finest known example of these models, cast with exceptionally delicate detailing and featuring a wonderful rich patination characteristic of Prieur. Bronze statuettes such as these were first made for collectors in France in the late 16th century, however Prieur seems to have been the dominant specialist of such genre pieces in this period during his self-imposed exile as a Protestant.
We also show a wonderful and rare pair of South German gilt bronze lions from the 16th century. These heraldic beasts rely on each other for functional purposes, as they would have held cartouches with coats of arms. Of outstanding quality and precise metal work, these lions are astonishingly naturalistic considering the unlikelihood of a 16th century German sculptor having ever encountered a real lion.
We hope you will be able to join us and consider these thought-provoking and beautiful pairs of objects during the course of London Art Week.
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