The Collector Gian Giacomo Poldi Pezzoli
The story of the founder of the Poldi Pezzoli Museum, a collector in nineteenth-century Milan
Childhood
Descending on the part of his mother, Rosina, from the ancient noble Trivulzio family and exceptionally rich thanks to the wealth inherited from the family of his father, Giuseppe, the young Gian Giacomo Poldi Pezzoli (1822-1879) was educated in the love of art and collecting.
Political commitment and education
Involved in the ‘Five Days’ uprising, he was heavily fi ned and exiled, as were many Milanese aristocrats. Exile for him, however, was a chance for a long artistic trip in Italy, London and Paris.
Il Museo Poldi Pezzoli agli inizi della sua storia in un’incisione di Antonio Bonamore (1881) by Antonio BonamoreMuseo Poldi Pezzoli
The "personal apartment"
In 1849, after having regained possession of his patrimony, Gian Giacomo began to furnish his "personal apartment".
The project was born in order to accommodate his art collection of paintings and decorative art objects, which grew with the addition of magnifi cent pieces, thanks to the help of connoisseurs, such as Giuseppe Bertini and Giovanni Morelli, but also due to the fl ourishing and internationally important Milanese art market.
Poldi Pezzoli and the contemporary painting
Friend of contemporary artists, Poldi Pezzoli was also a patron, and supported young artists of the Brera Academy by acquiring works by the students of his great friend, Bertini.
Gian Giacomo collected many Renaissance works, including those from Lombardy, with the goal of caring for civic patrimony, and was among the promoters of the First Exhibit of Antique Milanese Art (1874), which was the fi rst step towards the creation of a civic museum.
"For public use and benefit"
Thus was born in him, single and without children, the determination to leave his apartment and art collection ‘for public use and benefit,’ and to create an artistic foundation, providing it with an income dedicated to increase the collections.
A museum for the city
The project also focused on sustaining contemporary artists and artisans, who were granted free access to the museum. In 1879, Gian Giacomo Poldi Pezzoli died. Two years later, the museum was opened by Giuseppe Bertini, who became the director of the collections.
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