A Hot Day in Sicily
The painting of the Presidency of the Republic at the "Napoli Ottocento" exhibition at the Scuderie del Quirinale
Nineteenth-century Naples, from the sublime to matter
The exhibition, inaugurated by President Mattarella, is a journey through 250 masterpieces, a homage to the role of Naples in the European debate on nineteenth-century art.
Among the works of artists such as Degas, Fortuny, Mancini, Palizzi, "A hot day in Sicily" also stands out.
A hot day in Sicily (2024) by Francesco LojaconoQuirinale Palace
The painting
Immersed in a typical Sicilian landscape, this oil painting dates back to 1877.
The artwork, owned by the Capodimonte Museum, has been granted in storage to the Presidency of the Republic since 2017, to be exhibited in the evocative setting of the Torrino.
According to a critic of the time, the scene depicted in the painting alludes to the preparations for a duel of honor.
On the canvas, an artillery officer is clearly visible talking to someone sitting inside a carriage.
In front of the closed entrance of a farm we can spot a bourgeois, an infantry officer and a third figure with a bundle that would hide the weapons of the duel.
Francesco Lojacono
From Palermo, but active in Naples since 1856, Lojacono is considered one of the greatest landscape artists of the time.
He was nicknamed “painter of the sun” for the brightness of his canvases.
A hot day in Sicily, detail (1877) by Francesco LojaconoQuirinale Palace
Lojacono at the Quirinale
Two other paintings by Francesco Lojacono are preserved in the Quirinale Palace, which are part of the presidential endowment: "The Unexpected Arrival" and "Marina".
The Unexpected Arrival (1883) by Francesco LojaconoQuirinale Palace
The unexpected arrival
"The unexpected arrival" is a large canvas with a Risorgimento subject, much appreciated by critics.
For his work he was awarded the honor of Commander of the Crown of Italy.
Marina (1877) by Francesco LojaconoQuirinale Palace
Marina
The second painting, depicting a coastal view with some rocks in the foreground, was acquired in 1909 directly from the artist's studio.
Il riposo di Garibaldi (2024) by Francesco LojaconoQuirinale Palace
Garibaldi's rest
In replacement of the painting by Lojacono on loan to the "Napoli Ottocento" exhibition, the Capodimonte Museum has temporarily granted the painting "Garibaldi's Rest", by the Neapolitan painter Francesco Lord Mancini, to the Presidency of the Republic.
Napoli Ottocento - From the sublime to matter is open to the public until 16 June 2024.
The exhibition was created under the curatorship of Sylvain Bellenger, former director of the Capodimonte Museum.
Guarda le interviste
Il primo contributo è di Sylvain Bellenger, curatore della mostra "Napoli Ottocento"
Il secondo contributo è di Roberto Marvin Wellman, Presidenza della Repubblica
