"Marieda Di Stefano" School of Ceramics - Detail of the equipmentBoschi Di Stefano House Museum
In the first bequest from the Boschi Di Stefano family, made in 1974, Antonio Boschi gave to the Municipality of Milan not only the apartment and the collection of over 2,000 works of art, but also the School of Ceramics, located on the ground floor of the building at Via Jan 15. The school was founded by Marieda Di Stefano towards the end of the 1950s with a view to creating a ceramics workshop for art lovers.
Marieda Di Stefano
Following her regular studies, Marieda Di Stefano (Milan, 1901 - 1968) trained as an artist. From the second half of the 1940s onwards, she studied the plastic arts under artist Luigi Amigoni, a Milanese sculptor with a nineteenth-century style, from whom Marieda gradually distanced herself. She took inspiration instead from the work of the Della Robbia family (who inspired her artistic name, the pseudonym Andrea Da Robbio), Picasso's ceramic sculptures and sculptures belonging to the Inca tradition, which the couple themselves collected.
View of some Ceramic Vases by Marieda Di Stefano (1960s) by Andrea da Robbio (Marieda Di Stefano)Boschi Di Stefano House Museum
In the '50s and '60s, Marieda's ceramic pieces were exhibited numerous times at galleries in Milan such as the Montenapoleone Gallery, the Brera Art Gallery and the Artecentro Gallery.
View of the sculpture "L'ippodrago" View of the sculpture "L'ippodrago" (1951-51) by Andrea da Robbio (Marieda Di Stefano)Boschi Di Stefano House Museum
In the couple's second bequest, made in 1988 following the death of Marieda's husband, Antonio Boschi, Marieda's works become part of Milan's Civic Art Collections. The bequest included 69 works, some of which are now on display in the rooms of the Boschi Di Stefano Museum.
The School of Ceramics
The School of Ceramics launched in around 1959. In 1962, Marieda's request to open the school was approved by the Provincial Consortium of Technical Education, presided over at the time by the artist Achille Funi, whose works were collected by Boschi and Di Stefano.
"Marieda Di Stefano" School of Ceramics - KitchenBoschi Di Stefano House Museum
From day one, the school held numerous exhibitions: every year, group shows and solo exhibitions dedicated to Marieda's work were organised. The students also took part in various exhibitions further afield, from the International Market Exhibition in Florence to the Milan Trade Fair.
"Marieda Di Stefano" School of Ceramics - 4th RoomBoschi Di Stefano House Museum
In addition, under Marieda's supervision, the institution published the periodical "Jan 15. Ora": a school newspaper that offered a close look at international ceramics and the latest innovations in the art world at the time. Thanks to press review articles, we can reconstruct how the interior of the School of Ceramics looked during the 1960s: not only did the rooms feature ceramic works by contemporary artists such as Campigli, Baj, Del Pezzo and Dova, they also exhibited along the walls some of the paintings collected by the couple in the hope of inspiring students.
"Marieda Di Stefano" School of Ceramics - 3rd RoomBoschi Di Stefano House Museum
Migno Amigoni
After Marieda's death, Migno Amigoni took over the running of the school. She was the daughter of Luigi Amigoni, Marieda's sculpture teacher. Under the guidance of the new director, also a ceramic artist, the school stopped publishing its internal newspaper, and exhibitions were limited to an annual show held during the Christmas period. Amigoni continued to manage the school until her death in 2011.
The courses
The School of Ceramics offered four types of course: a fortnightly class, a fortnightly afternoon class, a weekly evening class and an open course. Lessons began and ended in conjunction with the state school calendar, i.e. they began in October and ended in June.
"Marieda Di Stefano" School of Ceramics - Small CorridorBoschi Di Stefano House Museum
The school had a few rules to be followed: wear a white apron clearly marked with your initials during lessons; keep and tidy your own materials into a specific box at the end of lessons; sign or place a seal on each item produced at the school.
"Marieda Di Stefano" School of Ceramics - 3rd RoomBoschi Di Stefano House Museum
The redevelopment of the school
In 2017, the Municipality of Milan launched a project to redevelop the school.
The rooms were opened up in an attempt to give visitors a sense of the original atmosphere.
"Marieda Di Stefano" School of Ceramics - Room 3Boschi Di Stefano House Museum
Of the many works that adorned the walls of the school, ten paintings by Marco Cordioli can still be seen.
"Marieda Di Stefano" School of Ceramics - 3rd RoomBoschi Di Stefano House Museum
Sishes made by Ibrahim Kodra and Lucio Del Pezzo were also recovered and placed on display, as was a mould depicting a Motherhood.
"Marieda Di Stefano" School of Ceramics - 2nd RoomBoschi Di Stefano House Museum
The current set-up of the rooms reveals the many tools used over the years by students: brushes, lathes, paints...
"Marieda Di Stefano" School of Ceramics - Small corridorBoschi Di Stefano House Museum
...and even aprons.
