The Gallery of Paintings of the Academy

A journey through the spaces of the Academy of Fine Arts of Bologna where the collection of paintings is guarded.

Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna

Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna

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Aula Magna

A prestigious venue for meetings and institutional events, the Aula Magna was originally the Church dedicated to Sant'Ignazio, part of the complex of the Jesuit Novitiate, today home to both the Academy and the National Gallery. Built in the Eighteenth Century by Alfonso Torreggiani, it unveils its original function in the dome, the columns and the two large altarpieces, inspired by the life of St. Ignatius of Loyola, placed above the "coretto". The space of the hall, emphasized by plaster casts of classical sculptures, hosts on the walls the paintings that refer directly to the history of the institution: the Fama, become today the institutional logo of the Academy and the Impresa of the Accademia Clementina.

Fame (1696/1710) by Marcantonio FranceschiniAccademia di Belle Arti di Bologna

Chosen as the institutional logo of the Academy of Fine Arts, it depicts the Allegory of Fame. The author was a well-known bolognese artist and vice prince of the Accademia Clementina.

The work is what remains of the ephemeral scenography realized for the funeral of Carlo Cignani, first prince of the Academy and Franceschini's own master. His portrait is embedded in the wind vane.

Impresa of Accademia Clementina (1722/1722) by Giuseppe OrsoniAccademia di Belle Arti di Bologna

The composition contains the motto of the Accademia Clementina, founded in 1710 with the approval of Pope Clement XI, from who it takes its name.

It represents also the symbol that gather the instruments of the three arts: brush, compass and chisel.

Vision of St. Ignatius of Loyola (1732/1732) by Giacomo PaviaAccademia di Belle Arti di Bologna

The two altarpieces are the only works that date back to the religious period of the building. Both represent St. Ignatius, founder of the Jesuit order.

St. Ignatius attacked (1726/1726) by Felice TorelliAccademia di Belle Arti di Bologna

Roma intangible (1888/1888) by Antonio MuzziAccademia di Belle Arti di Bologna

Esteemed Professor of the Academy, Antonio Muzzi well represents the development of history painting in Bologna at the end of the Nineteenth Century.

In the painting, Rome dresses the clothes of the popular Regina Margherita, inspirer of Umberto Carducci "Eternal Feminine Regale", embodying the ideology of Umbertine Italy.

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Sala Clementina

This space is today the hall of Professors, where exams and meetings with students are held. Originally was probably the apse of the Church of Sant'Ignazio, as can be seen from the presence of the columns that suggest the ideal continuation of the Aula Magna. The Sala Clementina owes its name to the presence of the bust of Pope Clement XI. The walls of this room exhibit most of the paintings in the collection with a wide selection of portraits from the Seventeenth to the Twentieth Century, representing professors of the Academy or high-ranking personalities. Some of these artworks were donated by the artists awarded the title of Accademici d'Onore or by well-known personalities of the city. All these paintings is a visible witness of the italian and foreign personalities who took part in the history of the Academy.

Portrait of Petronio Fancelli, Pietro Fancelli, 1785/1790, From the collection of: Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna
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Portrait of Giacomo Rossi, Pietro Fancelli, 1824/1824, From the collection of: Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna
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Selfportrait, Rose Matthieu, 1770/1770, From the collection of: Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna
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Selfportrait, Angelo Crescimbeni, 1772/1772, From the collection of: Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna
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Portrait of Ludovico A. Muratori, Painter of the eighteenth century, 1800/1800, From the collection of: Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna
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Portrait of Vincenzo Martinelli, Francesco Rosaspina, 1809/1809, From the collection of: Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna
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Portrait of Professor Bortolotti, Pietro Rosetti, 1822/1886, From the collection of: Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna
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Portrait of the Cardinal Carlo Oppizzoni, Andrea Appiani, 1805/1805, From the collection of: Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna
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Portrait of father Francesco, Clemente Alberi, 1864/1864, From the collection of: Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna
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Male portrait, Painter of the nineteenth century, 1801/1900, From the collection of: Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna
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Selfportrait, Antonio Puccinelli, 1861/1861, From the collection of: Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna
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Portrait of a gentleman, Unknown, 1800/1900, From the collection of: Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna
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Portrait of the engraver Rosaspina, George Hayter, 1828/1828, From the collection of: Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna
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The portrait of the engraver Rosaspina was realized in 1828, the year when the author, George Hayte, was nominated Accademico d'Onore thanks to the suggestion of Rosaspina himself.

Portrait of the Emperor Francesco I of Austria, Pelagio Pelagi, 1871/1871, From the collection of: Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna
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Portrait of Ettore Panzacchi (1894/1894) by Vittorio CorcosAccademia di Belle Arti di Bologna

This painting has a special meaning within the gallery, since the character depicted, Ettore Panzacchi, was the first professor of History and Art Criticism at the Academy, between 1872 and 1895.

Panzacchi was know also as writer and critic. He moved to the University of Bologna to teach Aesthetics and History of modern art while remaining Director and President at the Academy until his death.

Portrait of Valentino Solmi, Luigi Gregori, 1859/1859, From the collection of: Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna
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Calliope, Luigi Gregori, 1854/1854, From the collection of: Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna
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Portrait of a man with white scarf, Roberto Bentini, 1900/1999, From the collection of: Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna
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Portrait of Silvio Gordini, Augusto Majani called Nasica, 1928/1928, From the collection of: Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna
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Head of old man, Francisco Vieira, 1795/1795, From the collection of: Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna
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Selfportrait, Gaetano Minossi, 1786/1786, From the collection of: Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna
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Arcadian landscape (1787/1787) by Daniel DupréAccademia di Belle Arti di Bologna

The paintings by Daniel Duprè and Guy Head confirm the relationship with the European artistic world that has always been cultivated by the Accademia Clementina.

Erminia writes the name of Tancredi (1787/1787) by Guy HeadAccademia di Belle Arti di Bologna

The paintings by Daniel Duprè and Guy Head confirm the relationship with the European artistic world that has always been cultivated by the Accademia Clementina.

Lout eating grapes (1798/1798) by Giuseppe Soleri BrancaleoniAccademia di Belle Arti di Bologna

St. Petronio (1800/1800) by Painter of the eighteenth centuryAccademia di Belle Arti di Bologna

The sacrifice of Alcesti (1781/1781) by Johann Heinrich TischbeinAccademia di Belle Arti di Bologna

St. Girolamo, Fausto Muzzi, 1812/1879, From the collection of: Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna
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Prometheus animates man in the presence of Minerva (Allegory of sculpture) (1775/1803) by Jacopo Alessandro Calvi called SordinoAccademia di Belle Arti di Bologna

Portrait of a man with hat and earrings, Luigi Serra, 1846/1888, From the collection of: Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna
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Sala Curlandese

This room, adjacent to the Sala Clementina, is a place for institutional meetings. The name refers to the monument realized by Antonio Venturoli and Giacomo De Maria dedicated to the Baltic Prince Pietro Biron, Duke of Curlandia and Semigallia, nominated as Accademico d'Onore during his tour in Italy. In 1787 the duke decides to establish the Curlandese Prize, awarded until the middle of the last century, giving a thousand gold ducats. The award was added to the other existing ones: the Marsili - Aldrovandi and the Fiori. The annual prizes, awarded at the end of the year, were the most stimulating aspect of the academic life, especially for young students. This room collects twenty-four small monochrome canvases, winner of the Marsili Award for the section School of Figure between 1728 and 1803. These small paintings, all monochromatic and made with high pictorial quality, represent themes chosen by the commission, either mythological or historical. In the room there are also three watercolor drawings representing perspectives and scenographies, an example of the very high teaching of the School of Architecture.

Neptune on a shell pulled by a pair of dolphins, Felice Ronchi, 1728/1728, From the collection of: Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna
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Alessandro Magno gives Campaspe to Apelle, Felice Ronchi, 1728/1728, From the collection of: Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna
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Unction of Davide, Gaetano Mannini, 1730/1730, From the collection of: Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna
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Adoration of the Magi, Giuseppe Maria Varotti, 1733/1733, From the collection of: Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna
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Armida up into the chariot after the destruction of his palace, Antonio Melani, 1732/1732, From the collection of: Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna
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Expulsion of Agar and Ismaele, Francesco Antonio Chiozzi, 1751/1751, From the collection of: Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna
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Mercurio in flight with the head of Argo, Antonio Raffi, 1752/1752, From the collection of: Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna
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Sansone caught by the Philistines, Antonio Raffi, 1754/1754, From the collection of: Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna
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Sansone turns the millstone, Giacomo Zampa, 1754/1754, From the collection of: Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna
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Fetonte and the chariot of the Sun, Giacomo Zampa, 1756/1756, From the collection of: Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna
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Death of Marco Giunio Bruto, Giacomo Zampa, 1755/1755, From the collection of: Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna
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Rinaldo prevents the suicide of Armida, Pietro Vighi, 1757/1757, From the collection of: Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna
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Adam gives the name to the animals, Angelo Bigari, 1758/1758, From the collection of: Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna
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Sacrifice of Noè, Jacopo Alessandro Calvi called Sordino, 1758/1758, From the collection of: Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna
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Mosè kills an Egyptian who has outraged a jew, Ubaldo Bonvicini, 1760/1760, From the collection of: Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna
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Argante and Clorinda in front of Aladino tyrant of Jerusalem, Ubaldo Bonvicini, 1761/1761, From the collection of: Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna
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Mosè difends Jetro's daughters at the well of Madian, Giorgio Martina, 1760/1760, From the collection of: Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna
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Discovery of Lucrezia's body, Pirtro Francesco Pancaldi, 1761/1761, From the collection of: Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna
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Lucio Giunio Bruto assists the beheading of two sons, Girolamo Cassiano Contoli, 1762/1762, From the collection of: Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna
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Sansone blinded by the Philistines, Angelo Michele Gottarelli, 1765/1765, From the collection of: Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna
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Flagellation of Christ, Carlo Prinetti, 1779/1779, From the collection of: Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna
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Venere in the forge of Vulcano, Antonio Fabri, 1780/1780, From the collection of: Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna
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Perseo shows to Atlante the Medusa's head, Giovanni Masi, 1794/1794, From the collection of: Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna
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Rape of Proserpina, Luigi Basiletti, 1803/1803, From the collection of: Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna
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Magnificent atrium, Francesco Orlandi, 1700/1700, From the collection of: Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna
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Magnificent central plan atrium, Francesco Orlandi, 1700/1700, From the collection of: Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna
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Project of the cathedral od Montepulciano, Edoardo Stefano Collamarini, 1911/1911, From the collection of: Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna
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Administrative Office

The wing of the Academy, where today the Administrative Offices are located, preserves some others paintings placed in the Directorate and the Presidency. Among these the two particular artwork Teschi accatastati and the unpublished little table Ritratto di Anna Beatrice d'Asburgo-Este dopo la morte. The wide corridor houses also the entire heritage of books from the historical library, rich in precious volumes including: the collection of prints of the roman antiquities by Giovan Battista Piranesi, the volumes of the Encyclopédie by Denis Diderot and Jean-Baptiste Le Rond d'Alambert and the main italian and foreign treatises of ornato, perspective and architecture - from Andrea Palladio to Vignola, Ottavio Scamozzi, Andrea Pozzo or Ferdinando Bibiena.

Stacked Skulls (1616/1616) by Bartolomeo CesiAccademia di Belle Arti di Bologna

This painting has always been attributed to Ludovico Carracci and then to Barolomeo Cesi. Recent studies have questioned again the authorship of the artwork recognizing it to Bartolomeo Passarotti.

Portrait of Anna Beatrice of Habsburg-Este after death (1848/1849) by Adeodato MalatestaAccademia di Belle Arti di Bologna

This unpublished little table by Adeodato Malatesta was the last portrait dedicated to the newly born Anna Beatrice of Habsburg, who died a month after her birth.

Credits: Story

Curated by

Prof. Daniele Campagnoli
referent for the Google Art & Culture project / Academy of Fine Art Bologna

Prof. Maria Giovanna Battistini
referent for the historical fund and the picture gallery / Academy of Fine Art Bologna

Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.
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