Tribute to the Arts

Tribute to the Arts. A decade of acquisitions and restorations is the exhibition that concludes the rich calendar of events and celebrations organised for the Centenary of the Buonconsiglio Castle Museum. The exhibition offers the chance to view dozens of unpublished and previously unstudied artefacts for the first time. The itinerary unfolds across seven rooms, showcasing works that span a timeline from the Iron Age to the early 19th century.

On display are paintings on wood and canvas, sculptures in wood, plaster and stone, as well as prints and drawings, applied arts, precious and rare items of furniture, archaeological artefacts, and much more. Among the most curious and rare items are an elegant sedan chair and a sled, both crafted in Venice in the 18th century. These pieces transport us to distant eras, when mobility relied on human effort and the power of horses to pull vehicles. The exhibition evokes the fascination with ancient Egypt, which became highly fashionable after the Napoleonic campaign, through recently restored small bronze statuettes of divinities. Moreover, the exhibition features a selection of small bronzes and several sculptures depicting the lifeless body of Christ, created to inspire the devotion of believers and to highlight both the physical beauty and the technical skill of the artists. On display are the Holy Family, a bas-relief in alabaster created by the sculptor Cornelis van der Beck, and the evocative Agony in the Garden painted by Martin Knoller. From the rich collection of the Turco Merz noble family, there is an extensive collection of prints and engravings on paper, showcasing the European production spanning from the 16th century to the 19th century and some precious and rare artistic artefacts. Among the hundreds of engravings, woodcuts, and both invention and reproduction prints restored to enhance their legibility, a selection of six specimens is presented as an example of richness and variety of the collection. Also on display are paintings of sacred and secular themes, small-format artworks, and a unique plaster artefact depicting a putto.