Finally a scientific catalogue of the first public art gallery in Rome has been published. Complete and up-to-date texts and excellent images accurately document an extraordinary heritage of more than 400 paintings
This monumental work fills in the gap in the scientific cataloguing of the painting heritage of Rome. The preface to the volume, composed by three substantial essays, tells the story of Pinacoteca from the beginning in 1749 – when it was created in the rooms of Campidoglio built on purpose by Ferdinando Fuga to accomplish Pope Benedetto XIV’s will – to the acquisition of marquees Sacchetti and Prince Pio di Savoia’s collections. Moreover it gives account of the exhibitions of the many artworks collected by means of legacies and purchases year after year. The catalogue is organized chronologically by schools and major artists, following the current exhibition path. There is also a section dedicated to the artworks kept in storehouses and other municipal buildings, as well as an amazing quantity of archival documents and bibliographic references. Much space is dedicated to the artworks that make this museum so great: those by Renaissance masters (Bellini, Tiziano, Savoldo, ecc.), two Caravaggio’s paintings, masterpieces by Guercino and Domenichino, canvases by Guido Reni and Pietro da Cortona, horizontal views by Van Wittel, and intense portraits by Van Dyck and Velázquez.