276. The Galleria d'Arte Moderna ...

Today I visit the Gallery of Modern Art - a collection of modern art largely by Italian artists from the 18th to the 20th centuries which is housed in the very grand Villa Reale.

The Neoclassic Palace was built between 1790 and 1796 as the residence of Count Lodovico Barbiano of Belgiojoso, when he returned to Milan after an important career in European diplomacy at the service of the Austrian Royal House.

In 1804 the vice-president of the Italian Republic Melzi d'Eril bought the Villa from the Belgiojoso heirs to give it as a gift to Napoleon, on which occasion it was named "Villa Bonaparte". In 1806 the Villa became the residence of the viceroy couple of Eugene of Beauharnais ( Napoleon's adopted son ) and his wife Princess Amalia of Bavaria.

Following Napoleon’s defeat and the return of Milan to the Kingdom of Italy, the Palace was taken over by the state and for a long period of time remained abandoned.  In 1920 the municipality took over the restoration of the building and in 1921 inaugurated the Milan Modern Art Gallery.

 contessa Anna Maria Serbelloni 

Andrea Appiani - 1812

 Felice Bellotti - Giuseppe Bossi - 1810

 

 Amore E Psiche - Giovanni Maria Benzoni - 1860

 Jacob asks Rachel to Marry - Gaspare Landi - 1790

Melancholy - Natale Schiavoni - 1845

 The Spinner - Rudolph Schadow - 1815

Storm -  Andrea Achembach - 1853

 

 Goddess of Love - Giovanni Segantini - 1894

 

 Masaniello - Alessandro Puttinati - 1846

 The Angel of Life - Giovanni Segantini - 1894

 Anita - Giovanni Sottocornola - 1903

 ... attentive gallery guard ...

 Summer Morning - Pietro Chiesa - 1890

 Vestal Virgin - Antonio Canova - 1816

 

Minerva - Camillo Pacetti - 1820

 

detail

 Images of Vesuvius - Giuseppe de Nittis - 1872

Figure - Giacomo Spalla - 1830

Studio Study - Frederico Zandomeneghi - 1890

 

Ebe - Antonio Canova - 1796

Two Female Figures - Gaetano Previati - 1882

Luigi Luroni - Tranquilla Cremona - 1872

... eye and brain rest out the window ...

 signora Deschamps - Tranquillo Cremora - 1875

Primo Levi - Luigi Conconi - 1880

The Meditation - Cincinnato Baruzzi - 1897

Emilia Cairati - Gaetano Previati - 1881

Goddess of Flora - Francesco Barzaghi - 1878

Self-Portrait - Giovanni Carnovali - 1832

Filippo Guenzati - Giovanni Carnovali - 1841

Paolo and Francesca - Alessandro Puttinati - 1863

... again ...

... and again ...

Girl Writing - Giovanni Spertini - 1866
Cleopatra - Mose Bianchi - 1865

Matilde Juva Branca - Francesco Hayez - 1851

Egle - Giovanni Pandiani - 1860

Peasant - Giacomo Favretto - 1883

Landscape - Guglielmo Ciardi - 1890

About to Jump - Pietro Bernasconi - 1868
Carlo Vassalli - Giuseppi Molteni - 1830

Lagoon - Guglielmo Ciardi - 1891

  Signora Maglione - Domenico Morelli - 1879

Archilles Injured - Innocenzo Fraccaroli -1880

and the King of Italy can have the last look-in ...

... the rear of the Palace from the park ...