April Cambero
Social Media Editor
The Benton Museum of Art at Pomona College is showing the exhibition “500 years of Italian Drawings” borrowed from the Princeton University art museum through June 23.
The show features 95 pieces of technical artists from the 15th century to the early 20th century.
These pieces are an array of art in their different forms from first thought to final draft.
The slightly dimmed airy gallery allows for each unique piece to be highlighted in its own way.
Although each piece aligns with the overriding theme of the show, they are quite distinct. From the darkness added to each pen stroke to the type of canvas used to the colors included, such as red chalk or brown ink, the artist’s styles shine through.
Late 16th century artist Giovanni Francesco Barbieri had multiple pieces of work in which he used brown ink and squiggly strokes to illustrate his paintings. His use of non perfect line work was used in his creation of a drawing of the moment Jesus was nailed to the cross. Barbieri’s work displays emotion subtly and highlights the focus of his work more intensely.
Luca Cambiaso, a late 16th century artist from Italy, is more intentional with each stroke he makes. His attention to detail in his configuration of the human figure is featured with more geometrical shapes and less shadow work.
Other pieces in the exhibit are not titled nor credited to particular artists, but were all distinct in their own way. Each piece of work connected by the era and style of the Italian culture, yet still exuding each artist’s individuality.
Pomona College student Vera Caldwell and Loyola Marymount student Emma Wakefield were at the museum on April 7, specifically to view the “500 Years of Italian Drawings” exhibition. Caldwell attended the exhibition for a class she was in and wrote about a piece that she admired and related to a theme from her class. Wakefield was visiting Caldwell and wanted to join her friend at the exhibition.
Caldwell showed her favorite piece and said she had to do an exercise in her class where they took one line from a renaissance poem and reinterpret it in 30 different ways.
Caldwell said she found it interesting that she was able to see that in the renaissance art in the exhibition in this draft from an unknown artist that drew Mary and Jesus with angels above them in different forms.
“I really like these portraits, which I assume are all by the same artist, but the light and the expression and the way they’re not super detailed I thought was really beautiful, but there is so much character to them and I really like these,” Wakefield said.
April Cambero can be reached at april.cambero@laverne.edu.
April Cambero is a senior communications major with a concentration in public relations. She is the Fall 2024 editor-in-chief for the Campus Times and has also served as social media editor and staff writer.
Lindsey Pacela, a senior journalism and psychology major, has worked as the editor-in-chief of La Verne Magazine and news editor for the Campus Times. She is currently a staff photographer for both publications.
