Deborah Rosenthal's 'About Borromini' Exhibition at Bowery Gallery Explores Baroque Architecture in Prints and Drawings

From February 27 to March 24, 2007, the Bowery Gallery in New York City showcased an exhibition titled 'About Borromini,' featuring prints and drawings by Deborah Rosenthal inspired by Baroque architect Francesco Borromini. Accompanying the artwork was text by Jed Perl, Rosenthal's husband, which stemmed from their explorations in Rome, where they admired Borromini's unique fusion of classical strength and eccentricity. The couple found fascination in Borromini's Gothic influences, especially after rival Gian Lorenzo Bernini labeled him 'an ignorant Goth who has corrupted architecture.' Rosenthal's pieces, including 'Standing Angles/Study' (2006) and 'Twisted Column' (2006), abstractly reinterpret Borromini's architectural motifs. The exhibition also featured Perl's prose, with aspirations for a future book, while a New York poet celebrated Rosenthal's linocuts, exclaiming, 'Linoleum never had it so good!'