“Bellini, Titian and Lotto: North Italian Paintings from the Accademia Carrara, Bergamo”

Major-loan shows have become something of a rarity, given the cost of mounting them in a still-sputtering global economy. As it happens, the Accademia Carrara in Bergamo, Italy—home to masterpieces dating from the late middle ages to the 1800s—is closing for restoration. The Met is seizing the occasion to borrow 15 works from the 15th and 16th centuries, representing the high-water mark of the Venetian and Northern Italian Renaissance. Substantial contributions by the biggest names of the period are on view, all evincing the brilliant use of color and velvety-smooth brushwork that defined the art of that time and place. It’s essential viewing for Old Masters fans.