The new major exhibition at the Museo di Santa Caterina in Treviso showcases Women. A fascinating journey through time, between the last two decades of the nineteenth century and the first thirty years of the twentieth century, a period balanced between tradition and progress, when women gained more and more freedom and independence. But not only that, it is also the historical moment when the bourgeoisie developed and, with it, the pleasure of showing the world the status achieved by the new bourgeois. And what better occasion to show it off than by having oneself immortalized in a portrait, perhaps by one of the most sought-after artists of the genre?!? The greatest portraitists of the era were in fact the narrators of this magical moment, and about thirty of them are present in the exhibition. Some examples? Giovanni Boldini, Giacomo Grosso, Cesare Laurenti, Lino Selvatico, Cesare Tallone, Vittorio Corcos and many others. In particular, the "Italians in Paris" brought to Italy a new and modern way of depicting the female figure; among them Giuseppe de Nittis and Federico Zandomeneghi. There are also great masterpieces by Alberto Martini, a forerunner of surrealism and a portraitist with a magical atmosphere, from the portrait of Wally Toscanini (the symbolic portrait of the exhibition) to those of the eccentric marchesa Luisa Amman Casati Stampa.
"Dreams", Vittorio Matteo Corcos, 1896 (detail) The exhibition itinerary ranges among large paintings but not only; you can also admire preparatory drawings, sculptures, and posters, as well as a selection of period dresses, fans, and hats to give as much insight as possible into the feminine world of that time. The idea for the exhibition was born mainly for two reasons. The first is the recurrence of three "artistic Treviso deaths": the 70th anniversary of the death of Alberto Martini, the 60th of Giulio Ettore Erler, and the centenary of the passing of Lino Selvatico. The second reason concerns the latter: the Civic Museums of Treviso have recently acquired the vast core of works by the artist, thanks to the donation (some as a free loan) by the painter's family of paintings, sketches, drawings, engravings, drafts, youthful and preparatory works, as well as his personal library. In short, a great exhibition that is just waiting to be visited and I will be happy to accompany you on this journey of discovery.
"Portrait of Luisa Casati Stampa", Giovanni Boldini, 1911-1914 ca (detail)