“Summer is the time!” ACT Treasurer Andrew Barr declared as he joined Federal Arts Minister Simon Crean in exulting over the National Gallery of Australia’s next big blockbuster, “Renaissance – 15th & 16th Century Italian Paintings from the Accademia Carrara, Bergamo,” to open on December 9.

Both had much to offer – Mr Crean the necessary insurance and indemnity from the Federal Government and Mr Barr $500,000 from the new ACT Special Events Fund.

Mr Crean had the edge, as he was able to claim it had been his father Frank Crean, Federal Treasurer in the Whitlam Government, who had signed the cheque for the gallery’s most notable holding, “Blue Poles.”

Nobody was complaining. Mr Crean praising the NGA’s last big hit, “Masterpieces from Paris”, which had attracted more than 470,000 people. That was “astounding by any standard” and, with other blockbusters in Canberra and Melbourne, proved that “Australians do love their art”.

The coming show would be “a marvellous gift to Australia,” gallery director Ron Radford said.  Reflecting on his own childhood in Warragul, Victoria, he said, “I could never have believed it possible… there has never been an exhibition in Australia that concentrated on the 15th and 16th century, never one that concentrated on Renaissance itself…. we have never seen Botticelli, Bellini or Raphael in Australia before.”

During 2002 the  NGA brought in “The Italians: Three Centuries of Italian Art,” covering   the 16th, 17th and 18th century art, but that made headlines for the melodramatic visit of Italian Deputy Minister of Culture Vittorio Sgarbi. The gallery undoubtedly prefers the art to have centre stage this time.

The new show, planned for three years, has been co-ordinated by curator Christine Dixon, but it was Mr Radford who, on hearing that the gallery in Bergamo, northern Italy, was closing for renovations, had personally put a foot in the door to introduce himself and the NGA.

Aware that a major Italian gallery like the Uffizi would never lend its priceless treasures, he made a bid for the priceless selection of artworks  from Bergamo, including a two-panel painting by Botticelli and two Bellini Madonnas with child.

The rest is likely to be history.

Tag: The gallery will use timed ticketing for the exhibition – meaning visitors can choose a time and day to visit the exhibition.

Tickets go on sale on Friday, September 2, and are available from the front desk of the National Gallery of Australia or www.ticketek.com.au