Carlo Crivelli: Shadows on the Sky

18 February 2022

Saint Mary Magdalene (detail; c. 1491–94), Carlo Crivelli. Photo: © National Gallery, London

With his experimental use of perspective and trompe l’oeil, Carlo Crivelli has often seemed out of step with his quattrocento contemporaries. This show at Ikon, Birmingham (23 February–29 May) – the first monographic display of the artist in the UK – claims him as something of a Surrealist avant la lettre, arguing that his delight in visual trickery, blurring the lines between material and immaterial worlds, finds an affinity in the likes of René Magritte. Find out more from Ikon’s website.

Preview below | View Apollo’s Art Diary here

Virgin and Child (c. 1480), Carlo Crivelli.

Virgin and Child (c. 1480), Carlo Crivelli. Photo: © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

The Annunciation, with Saint Emidius (1486), Carlo Crivelli.

The Annunciation, with Saint Emidius (1486), Carlo Crivelli. Photo: © National Gallery, London

Saint Catherine of Alexandria (c. 1491–94), Carlo Crivelli.

Saint Catherine of Alexandria (c. 1491–94), Carlo Crivelli. Photo: © National Gallery, London

The Vision of the Blessed Gabriele (c. 1489), Carlo Crivelli.

The Vision of the Blessed Gabriele (c. 1489), Carlo Crivelli. Photo: © National Gallery, London

Saint Mary Magdalene (c. 1491–94), Carlo Crivelli.

Saint Mary Magdalene (c. 1491–94), Carlo Crivelli. Photo: © National Gallery, London