British artist Brigitte Riley, 91, will unveil his first painted ceiling in Rome this spring. The work, made from the artist’s so-called Egyptian palette, will cover the four barrel vaults of the ceiling of the British School in Rome. Riley previews the work in an image showing his design of the vast hanging canvas, emulating Renaissance masters such as Caravaggio.
Riley talked about the Egyptian palette saying, “The ancient Egyptians had a fixed palette. They used the same colors – turquoise, blue, red, yellow, green, black and white – for over 3,000 years. In each use, these colors appeared different but at the same time they united the appearance of the whole culture.
The artist adds in a press release: “I would like to thank the British School of Rome for their invitation to paint the barrel vaults of the magnificent ceiling by Edwin Lutyens. It was the start of an exhilarating visual pursuit. Exhilarating but not without hazards… I continued this perceptual adventure and played my “acoustic of colors” with great pleasure. Looking up, the color of the sky offers a glimpse of nature in its most promising and serene mood.
The British School, located next to the Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna, was established in 1901 and is housed in a neoclassical building designed by Lutyens for a 1911 exhibition marking Italy’s 50th anniversary (the event attracted more than 7 million visitors). British School alumni include Cornelia Parker and Mark Wallinger; artists who have taken up residency at the British School include Eddie Peake, Elizabeth Price and Laure Prouvost.
Currently, a traveling exhibition featuring over 90 of his works on paper reveals Riley’s evolution in line, tone and color.
