Henry McMahon

Zurbarán's Veil of Veronica calls attention to two miracles, those of the Veronica legend and of the painter’s art of creation.

If a gallery full of landscape paintings makes one yearn for the places they depict, day after day of driving through the country at 80 miles per hour makes one thankful for the efforts of painters who actually succeeded in locking down the essence of particular places.

The greatest value of this fascinating show might be a reminder that place, not things, has always defined us as a nation, and that engagement with that great theme has given us much of our lasting and most important art.

Peasants and landscape. Of all Bruegel’s seasonal paintings, this one combines these two to greatest effect.

In Watteau’s world, more than in any other painter’s, figure to canvas is as actor to stage.