International events: Exhibition “O dolce Napoli. Naples in the works of Italian and Russian artists of 18th c. – first half of 19th c.” staged in Moscow as a part of Cultural Exchange Year for Russia and Italy

On December 9th 2011 the State Tretyakov Gallery (Moscow) is staging a new exhibition “O dolce Napoli. Naples in the works of Italian and Russian artists of 18th c. – first half of 19th c.”.

The exhibition, which is running as a part of the Cultural Exchange Year for Russia and Italy, turns the spotlight on Naples. It brings together paintings and drawings of Russian and Italian artists inspired by the inimitable genius of Naples.

The exhibit unveils a series of gouaches by Italian amateur painters (The State Historical Museum, Moscow). These works depicting most popular and picturesque sites of Naples – town panoramas  from Posillipo Hill, from the Royal Palace of Capodimonte, views of Mount Vesuvius often depicted with a smoking peak or while eruption, islands and coasts of the Bay of Naples - pre existed memorable postcards.

An important place among paintings devoted to Naples occupies portrayal of its residents: young Neapolitan women with tambourines, shepherd boys, fishermen.

A special group at the exhibition is made by portraits of Russian travelers, prosperous customers and cultural workers against a background of Mount Vesuvius. They have been created by prominent Russian artists – A. P. Bryullov, V. A. Tropinin, P. Orlov.

A real highlight of the exhibition will become a work by Karl Bryullov “Portrait of an artist F. Catel with his wife” (1830), which has never left the Catel Institute before.

Works by Russian artists which go side-by-side with those of their Italian contemporaries let you discover the peculiar features of national perception and unique identity of schools of art in each country.

The exhibition brings together over 100 paintings and drawings from Russian and Italian museums – The State Tretyakov Gallery, The State Historical Museum, Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, Tropinin Museum; The National Gallery of Contemporary Art (Rome) and Catel Institute (Rome), along with private collections.