Foundation Curator's Choice with Tansy Curtin

Join Tansy Curtin, Curator of International Art pre-1980, in Reimagining the Renaissance for a discussion on Man praying, late 1520s, by Italian-born, Flemish artist Ambrosius Benson. This artwork was donated through the Art Gallery of South Australia Foundation in 1999.

Benson was a highly regarded painter of religious subjects. Man praying, late 1520s offers a glimpse into the dramatic changes in patronage and subject matter occurring in the Northern Renaissance during this period. Recent conservation studies have revealed an underdrawing of a female head and nude torso – likely a figure from an Old Testament story – which Benson has painted his portrait over. Benson’s painting offers tangible evidence of the move away from religious and historical painting (mostly commissioned by and for the Church) towards a more secular approach and the rise of individualism which can be directly linked to the rising popularity of portraiture.