Giuseppe Bertini (1825 - 1898), <em>Dante's Triumph</em>, 1853-1856, Stained glass window of the Dantesque Study, Poldi Pezzoli Museum, Milan | Photo: Wikipedia
A treasure chest in a treasure chest, rife with art and memories - it’s the Dantesque Study of Gian Giacomo Poldi Pezzoli, heart of one of the most beautiful home-museums in Milan. First a bedroom and then the private study of the collector from the 1800s, this precious room is the last glimpse at the original decor. Splendid murales, furnishings and windows inspired by the Middle Ages of Dante, dear to the owner of the house for two reasons - the patriotic ring of the Risorgimento’s High Poet’s work and his destiny of political exile, which he shared with the Count himself. In the room are some of the furnishings designed for Poldi Pezzoli by Giuseppe Bertini and Luigi Scrosati, besides works of art and rare objects, once all gathered together in a rich wunderkammer. There is the Bust of Rosa Trivulzio, mother of the house’s owner, carved from marble by Lorenzo Bartolini - it is said that that Count placed the gold jewellery and cameos once belonging to the noble woman around the statue’s neck. And there is also the Nautilus, a rare conch shell from the Orient that Dutch artisans decorated with silver leafing and filigree, eagles, stems and miniature scenes. However, the piece that most strikes visitors is the multicoloured window with stories from the Divine Comedy - it was admired by the Pre-Raphaelites at the London World’s Fair and it inspired their later works.
The exhibition presents an in-depth and original approach to Brassaï’s oeuvre through over 200 vintage prints, with particular attention to the extremely famous images dedicated to the French capital and its nightlife.
The exhibition reflects on the traditional concept of the vitrine and its centrality in exhibition projects. In relation to the "classical museum display", the display case separates and at the same time exposes the object, offering it for viewing, but creating a barrier for the viewer.
Picasso did not consider the art that inspired him, which moved his creative mind in an unstoppable desire to open new paths, as "primitive", he did not see a "before" and an "after" in art, there was no "other", "different" art: Picasso conceived it as a timeless Whole.
Piero della Francesca's masterpiece reunited again
In a unique and unrepeatable exhibition, a masterpiece by Piero della Francesca is presented for the first time in history, 555 years after its creation: the Augustinian Polyptych.