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Colnaghi Madrid Pairs Old Masters With Contemporary Artists in 'The Danger of Beauty'

exhibition · 2026-10-05

At Colnaghi Madrid, there's an exhibition called The Danger of Beauty, which is curated by Luis Berenguer. It combines historic masterpieces with modern pieces to show how our understanding of beauty has changed. Among the contemporary artists showcased are Hamish Pearch, Cece Philips, and Liu Bin, paired with works by renowned figures like El Greco, Francisco de Goya, and others. This exhibit runs until October 29 and challenges the notion of beauty as a fixed concept, highlighting its ties to religion, society, and power. While European art has often linked beauty to perfection and status, it also highlights its fleeting aspects, like wilting flowers and aging forms.

Key facts

  • Colnaghi Madrid is presenting the exhibition The Danger of Beauty.
  • The exhibition is curated by Luis Berenguer.
  • It pairs historic paintings with contemporary works to examine shifting ideas of beauty.
  • Contemporary artists included are Hamish Pearch, Cece Philips and Liu Bin.
  • Historic painters include El Greco, the Circle of Francisco de Zurbarán, Juan van der Hamen, Juan de Arellano and Francisco de Goya.
  • The exhibition is on view through October 29.
  • The show frames beauty as shaped by religion, social expectations and systems of power rather than as a fixed ideal.
  • European art has often associated beauty with divine perfection, virtue, status and material abundance, while acknowledging its transience.

Entities

Artists

Institutions

  • Colnaghi Madrid

Locations

  • Madrid
  • Spain

Sources