Archive for Category: Insights

“There is a young man from Cento who paints with such felicity of invention, is a great draughtsman and a most skilful colourist…” With these words Ludovico Carracci (1555–1619) described in a letter the talent of Giovanni Francesco Barbieri, known as Guercino (1591–1666). Born in Cento, near Ferrara, Guercino showed a remarkable inclination for painting from an early age, which first led him to Bologna – where he came into contact with the great Emilian master – and then to Rome, in the service of the papal court.
The Eternal City still preserves some of the most memorable works of his entire production, precious testimonies of a new, personal and astonishing artistic language.

Human beings have always shaped the earth: clay, water, air and fire are the ingredients of an age-old tradition born for practical purposes but soon enriched by aesthetic intentions. Since antiquity, vases and other containers have been decorated with ornamental motifs, mythological stories, allegories and graphic elements reflecting the tastes of their time. On occasion, they even become symbols of an era, as happens during the Renaissance, when Italian maiolica is no longer associated merely with tableware but becomes a true collector’s item. Throughout the sixteenth century, the art of tin-glazed pottery evolved in its techniques, forms and style, giving rise to astonishing creations—remarkable in their beauty, variety and craftsmanship—that still captivate viewers today.

He was the master of the Ferrarese Renaissance, yet his memory was lost for centuries, and even today we know very little about him and his training. Cosmè Tura – a multifaceted artist at the Este court during the second half of the fifteenth century – managed to blend the courtly taste of Gothic art with the innovations of Tuscan painting, creating a personal and distinctive style that would become a model for others to follow.
Let us retrace the life of this major figure of Italian art through some of his most celebrated masterpieces.

It is well known that artists are often able to detect and interpret a shared feeling before it becomes widely recognised. This is precisely what happened with the Avant-garde movements of the 20th century: a succession of cultural movements which, in the early years of the century, gave voice to a widespread and stirring unease, irreversibly shaping the course of art and history.

A curious recurrence happily marks Italian culture: the presence of at least two Dantes among the most significant figures of its past and present. The Divine Poet, author of the celebrated Commedia; and Dante Ferretti, an award-winning set and costume designer who has worked alongside directors such as Pier Paolo Pasolini, Federico Fellini, Terry Gilliam and Martin Scorsese. Let’s retrace the key moments of his career and revisit, as if in an art-house screening, some of the most iconic titles signed by this “living legend” of world cinema.

Long – and wrongly – regarded as a “minor art”, miniature painting is one of the most refined and exquisite artistic expressions of ancient, medieval and Renaissance Europe. Less known to the general public than its “major sisters” (painting, sculpture and architecture), it is a precious testimony to the skill of its creators, the changes in taste across the ages, and the role that the written word has played in past history.
Let us therefore draw closer – metaphorically and not only – to the art of miniature painting and to some of its most celebrated examples, to better appreciate its style and evolution.

Wunderkammer, cabinets de curiosités, chambers of wonders: from the late Renaissance onwards, this is how domestic spaces devoted to the gathering and display of natural specimens, artefacts and curious objects came to be known. Mysterious and fascinating places, they expressed a unique form of scientific collecting, from which today’s natural history museums derive, while also inspiring later artistic movements such as twentieth-century Surrealism.

Independent artist, advertising graphic designer, author of books for children and adults, inventor of industrial products and of the Macchine inutili: during his long and prolific career, Bruno Munari (1907–1998) was everything and its opposite. Driven by unquenchable curiosity and boundless imagination, he succeeded in merging fantasy and ingenuity, creative freedom and design in works that still feel original and relevant today.
His activity as a designer was widely acclaimed, and Munari was awarded the Compasso d’Oro—the oldest and most prestigious recognition in the field—no fewer than four times. And you might be surprised to learn that the credit also goes to a little monkey…

Unique and exceptional, Venice is not only a must-see destination for anyone visiting Italy, but also an essential stop for art lovers. It was here that, in the sixteenth century, a new style of painting took shape—one that could rival the Tuscan-Roman school and establish itself firmly in the cultural landscape of the time. Let’s explore the key features and protagonists of the so-called Venetian Renaissance.