The artistic vitality of nineteenth-century Naples lives again in Rome

A European metropolis of absolute cultural and scientific importance, Naples experienced a period of extraordinary attraction during the nineteenth century also for artists, not only Italian ones, fascinated by its landscape, natural and cultural riches. The Naples Nineteenth Century exhibition can be visited at the Scuderie del Quirinale in Rome until 16 June. Degas, Fortuny, Gemito, Mancini, Morelli, Palizzi, Sargent, Turner explore this vitality through 250 works – including paintings, sculptures, examples of decorative arts – by internationally renowned artists who immortalized the attractions of Pompeii and Herculaneum, the sea and local folklore. The works on display, including canvases by William Turner, Edgar Degas and Giuseppe De Nittis, provide a complete overview of the mutual influences between the great artistic movements of the nineteenth century and the collective imagination of the city of Naples. ALSO DEGAS AND TURNER ON EXHIBITION AT THE SCUDERIE DEL QUIRINALEIn addition to reviewing the artistic and aesthetic legacy of the Campania city, the exhibition highlights the role of Naples as the capital of the Enlightenment and a scientific centre, which has hosted for centuries one of the oldest Italian universities and the first language school oriental in Europe. The cultural ferment that animated the city during a politically and socially troubled period such as the 19th century seduced and inspired both Italian artists such as De Nittis, Mariano Fortuny and Filippo Palizzi, as well as the great exponents of international painting, including Turner, John Singer Sargent and Degas. Of Neapolitan origins on his father’s side, the latter in particular spent an important phase of his artistic training in Naples and is at the center of a special focus that investigates his familiarity with the local environment. Overall, the exhibition itinerary leads spectators to discover the evolution of art in the Neapolitan city, arriving at the material and anticipatory paintings of the new sensibilities of artists such as Antonio Mancini, so as to testify to the link between the aesthetics that defined the Neapolitan art in the nineteenth century and the European instances of modern art. IN ROME ALL THE ARTISTIC AND SCIENTIFIC VITALITY OF THE NEAPOLITAN 19th CENTURY Unwinding like a long journey through the history and art of the Neapolitan city, the Naples Nineteenth Century exhibition allows us to observe the great cultural dynamism that animated the “long century” from an intriguing perspective: that of the artistic history of a city that was able to fascinate and inspire artists, philosophers and thinkers, leaving an indelible mark on the vision of the Western world[Immagine in apertura: vista dell’allestimento della mostra Napoli Ottocento. Degas, Fortuny, Gemito, Mancini, Morelli, Palizzi, Sargent, Turner alle Scuderie del Quirinale, Roma. Foto (c) Alberto Novelli]