PASSIONE DI CRISTO: da Bassano a Bernini, da Conca a Mengs
Date: 4 Luglio 2015 – 27 Settembre 2015 – Opening 3 Luglio 2015
Location: Museo del Territorio Biellese – Chiostro di San Sebastiano – Via Q. Sella, 54b – Biella
Curatore: Francesco Petrucci
La mostra organizzata presso il Museo del Territorio di Biella è la celebrazione della vita terrena più tragica e dolorosa di Gesù, raffigurata attraverso una raccolta di quaranta dipinti dal ‘500 al’ 700, fornita dal Palazzo Chigi di Ariccia, dalla Fondazione Marignoli Spoleto e dalla Fondazione Amata.
Curatore della mostra è Francesco Petrucci, professore di Storia dell’Arte, Conservazione e Restauro e Direttore del Museo di Palazzo Chigi di Ariccia (Roma).
La mostra comprende “L’Agonia nel Giardino” di Marcello Venusti e la “Deposizione” di Jacopino del Conte, un “Cristo flagellato” di Bernardo Strozzi e vari capolavori del Romano Barocco come la “Crocifissione sul Mare di Sangue”, opera ispirata ad una celebre invenzione del Bernini, nota attraverso tre esemplari principali tra cui quello di Palazzo Chigi, che il grande artista volle esporre nella sua camera da
letto come motivo di preghiera e meditazione.
Tra gli artisti piemontesi sono presenti Giovan Battista Benaschi, con la “Morte di San Giuseppe”, opera di forte impatto emozionale e reminiscenza Caravaggesca e Claudio Francesco Beaumont, con una struggente “Addolorata confortata da un angelo”.
La mostra è stata organizzata dalla Città di Biella, E20Progetti e Glocal Project Consulting con il sostegno della Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Biella. Il trasporto, allestimento e disallestimento delle opere è curato da ONE Trasporti d’Arte.
Making Of “Passione di Cristo”
The depiction of the episodes of the Passion of Christ in its chronological order, according to a comparative description of the Gospels, has definitely provided the main theme of Western art for centuries.
This depiction has experienced a particular impulse following the Devotion to St. Francis of Assisi and the progression of the Franciscan tradition, which codified the rite of the Via Crucis (Stations of the Cross), starting from the fourteenth century and especially from the sixteenth to the eighteenth century.
A further development occurred following Franciscan St. Leonard of Port Maurice’s preaching (1676– 1751) and circulation of images related to Via Crucis. The major Italian artists between Renaissance and Baroque have devoted extraordinary creative works focusing on some moments of “Passion”, by Michelangelo, Raffaello, Tiziano, Caravaggio, Rubens, Bernini and many others, up to Tiepolo.
The exhibition itself aims to be as complementary to the “Passion of Christ of Sordevolo“, alongside the impressive Passion depiction placed in Biella with an exhibition of paintings focused on the same theme, on display on occasion of the dramatic play, from July to September. It proposes a selection of forty paintings, from ‘500 to ‘700, mainly coming from the Palazzo Chigi in Ariccia (Rome), and forming one of the most important Roman historical venue and well known as the “Museum of the Baroque”.
More oeuvres come from the prestigious The Marignoli Montecorona Foundation and a leading English private collection. The works, all remarkably valuable, are displayed according to some of the key moments of the “Passion of Christ”: from its biblical foreshadowing, the dramatic climax of the crucifixion and the subsequent late, up to heavenly glory of the Salvator Mundi, the reason of humankind redemption.
The exhibition also comprises paintings by Michelangelo’s culture, like the best version of the famous Oration Marcello Venusti and an extraordinary Deposition of Jacopino del Conte, an unprecedented Crucifixion signed by Leandro Bassano, a youthful Christ scourged comforted by an angel of Genoese Bernardo Strozzi, flanked by masterpieces of some of the leading artists of the Roman Baroque: from Cavalier d’Arpino, to Pietro da Cortona, Giovan Gaulli Battista said “il Baciccio”, Ludovico Gimigniani, Francesco Trevisani, Sebastiano Conca, Francesco Mancini, Corrado Giaquinto, Placido Costanzi, up to Anton Raphael Mengs, father of Neoclacissism.
The visionary mysticism of the ‘600 is expressed by the Crucifixion on the Blood Sea, which is inspired by a famous Bernini’s invention, and reckoned as one out of three major oeuvres one of which is placed in Palazzo Chigi. The great artist wanted to expose this work in his bedroom as a reason to prayer and meditation. Among the Piedmontese artists this exhibition includes Giovan Battista Benaschi, with the Transit of St. Joseph, the work of strong emotional impact and reminiscent of Caravaggio, and Claudio Francesco Beaumont, with a poignant Sorrows comforted by an angel.
Francesco Petrucci
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