Symbolic Passions This devotional image brings together various symbols of Christ’s crucifixion including the crown of thorns, nails and spear.
Whose Madonna is this? In 1923 the NGV paid a high price for this work, since then, the authenticity of the work has been questioned and still the debate rages.
An unsolved mystery Buying a painting by Sebastiano Ricci proved to be a good deal for the NGV when a tip off showed the work to be that of the master Tiepolo.
A Spanish master in Rome This very dramatic 17th century painting was once part of the high altar in a church in the Spanish district in Rome. A shift in taste saw it removed and now it hangs in Melbourne.
Beneath the VarnishThis portrait of an affluent family, with their bright coloured clothes, has a surprising Australian connection.
Scheming Murderess or Victim of Circumstance?This portrait was bought over fifty years ago and no one then knew who the sitter was. New technology and research has solved this puzzling mystery.
A fortutious case of mistaken identity This recent acquisition was attributed to the wrong artist for quite some time.
The Colours of Religion The complex composition of this active Italian work shocases the change of taste that occurred in the mid 16th century.
A snapshot composition by Rembrandt In this portrait, the right hand of the sitter disappears off the side of the canvas. Mistake or something else?
Many Hands to Paint a Miracle This impressive triptych of the miracles of Christ may not have been the work of just one artist.
Pan, A God on High This painting by the pioneering Italian Baroque artist Annibale Carracci was originally painted for a ceiling in an opulent palace, thus it is displayed high in the room to hint at how Annibale intended it to be seen.
The most extravagant party ever This painting tells the story of Cleopatra's opulent party, when she dissolved the world’s largest pearl in vinegar and drank it to impress a prospective lover.
Formal and intimate, a marriage portrait. A look at the recently hung Long Portrait Gallery, focusing on the portrait of a well-to-do Dutch couple.
Tiepolo, Master of IllusionismThis elaborate Tiepolo ceiling painting uses spatial illusionism to deceive the eyes.
Architectural illusions Here, the artist emphasises architecture rather than focusing on the people.