Thanks to a generous donation from the collector Dr. Günter Leidner, the holdings of the Gemäldegalerie were recently enriched with three important works by the northern Italian painters Antonio Zanchi, Cristoforo Savolini and Daniele Crespi. After careful restoration, the paintings will now be presented to the public as part of a special presentation with other works from northern Italy from Thursday, April 18, 2024. With the exhibition, long-time curator Roberto Contini says goodbye to the Gemäldegalerie.
Image above: Giovanni Andrea De Ferrari, Die büßende Magdalena, Dauerleihgabe Günter Leidner, © Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Gemäldegalerie / Christoph Schmidt
The holdings of the Berlin Picture Gallery have so far been less broadly based in the area of Italian painting of the 17th century, especially northern Italian painting. A generous donation of three paintings by the Ludwigsburg collector Dr. Günter Leidner is now helping to close this gap. The works are by Antonio Zanchi, Cristoforo Savolini and Daniele Crespi and have been extensively restored for the exhibition.
The depiction of “Samson and Delilah” by Antonio Zanchi, who belongs to the Venetian school, has already temporarily adorned the room in the picture gallery for the Venetian 18th century as a supraporte. Now the large canvas complements the paintings of the Venetian late baroque. Although the latter are not very numerous, they are often of high quality, as evidenced by Pietro Liberi’s “Diana and Actaion” or Apollo’s “Music Competition” by Johann Carl Loth. As part of the special presentation, Loth’s work will be on display in the Gemäldegalerie for the first time in a long time.
Cristoforo Savolini from Cesena most likely portrayed the suicide “Lukretia”. The painting complements the holdings of the Emilian School and is stylistically similar to the works of Guercino’s school in Romagna. This also includes Guido Cagnacci, who strongly influenced Savolini. Also the third new addition, the painter’s depiction “Tobias Heals his Father”.
Daniele Crespi, represents an enrichment for the picture gallery. The painters of the Lombard school of the 17th century have so far only been represented with a work by Francesco Cairo, the “Dream of Joseph”. Crespi was one of the students of Cerano and Giulio Cesare Procaccini, but died early, so his works are rare.
In addition to the three paintings from the Leidner Collection and the works by Loth and Cairo, the exhibition includes a privately owned “Expulsion of Hagar” from the Venetian School of the late 17th century and three other works from the Gemäldegalerie. The latter are works that have never been seen before: a “Penitent Magdalene” by the Genoese Giovanni Andrea de Ferrari, a “Boy St. John” from the circle of the famous Cerano (actually Giovanni Battista Crespi) and a small-format work with “Polyphemus and Galathea”, which can be attributed to Pasqualino Rossi, who came from Vicenza and was particularly active in the Marche.
“The Leidner donation. Northern Italian Painting of the 17th Century” is curated by Roberto Contini, the long-time curator of Italian and Spanish painting 1500-1700 and French painting 1600-1700. With this special presentation, Roberto Contini retires after 24 years at the Gemäldegalerie.
WHEN?
Exhibition period: Thursday, 18. April until Sunday, 28. July 2024
Opening hours: Tue – Sun, 10 am to 6 pm
WHERE?
Kulturforum, Gemäldegalerie
Matthäikirchplatz
10785 Berlin
COSTS?
Regular: € 12
Reduced: € 6
