Bucolia, a word derived from the original ‘bucolic’, describes a powerful longing for nature—a feeling of affinity with and belonging within the countryside. This exhibition celebrates work that revels in the tranquillity, delight, and mystery we experience in the presence of the natural world.
Alongside the human figure, nature has been one of the foremost sources of artistic inspiration throughout history. The idea of the bucolic stems from classical pastoral poetry, and its influence resurged during the Renaissance, where idealised landscapes reappeared in art. Early Renaissance works often relegated nature to a fantastical or symbolic backdrop, as in the heavenly panel of Bosch’s Garden of Earthly Delights. The rediscovery of linear perspective and a growing interest in natural history in the 15th century ushered in a more realist approach, exemplified by the art of Titian and Giorgione. Their synthesis of realism and classical symbolism produced some of the most celebrated works of the High Renaissance.