Cecily Brown's 'The Triumph of Death' at Capodimonte

Cecily Brown (London, 1969) presents a monumental painting inspired by the 15th-century fresco 'The Triumph of Death' at Palazzo Abatellis in Palermo, now on view at the Museo e Real Bosco di Capodimonte in Naples as part of the 'L'Opera si racconta' focus exhibition series. The series highlights masterpieces from the permanent collection in new dialogues. Brown visited the Palermo fresco in spring 2019 and created a 535.94 cm x 535.94 cm canvas reinterpreting its content. The exhibition, curated by Sergio Risaliti and realized by the museum and the Amici di Capodimonte association in collaboration with Thomas Dane Gallery, also includes a series of drawings completed after the painting. The central image depicts a skeleton on a white horse, a 'death rider' sparing no living being. Brown describes it as 'a huge honor' to exhibit at Capodimonte, calling Naples her favorite city. Director Sylvain Bellenger notes that the painting, nearly as large as the original fresco, demonstrates how painting always tells the history of painting, transforming the scene into a 'joyful danse macabre' where the horse of Death becomes a fantastic circus horse.