Quirinale Artworks on Loan
The works of art of the Presidency of the Republic hosted in the Italian exhibitions of 2023
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The works on loan
Among the artistic assets that the Quirinale has lent, the valuable paintings by Guido Ferroni, Mario Reviglione and Bartolomeo Bezzi, sumptuous porcelain tableware, a tapestry and a model of a sundial by Borromini stand out.
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The host museums
The works have been welcomed at Palazzo Pitti in Florence, at the Mart in Rovereto, at the Reggia di Venaria and at Palazzo Barberini in Rome.
Reviglione, setup (2024) by Mario ReviglioneQuirinale Palace
Mario Reviglione at the MART in Rovereto
The exhibition "Mario Reviglione. L'amorosa inquietudine" at the MART in Rovereto hosted three paintings of the Quirinale signed by the artist.
The works, all united by an intense luminosity, are "Vecchia contadina valdostana (Ayas)", "Gioia di luce a Chamois" and "Mattino".
Joy of light in Chamois
The painting, dated 1927, portrays a young woman whose figure stands out against a bright landscape, in the municipality of Chamois in the Aosta Valley.
The girl's joyful smile and her brightly colored knitted clothes accentuate the brightness radiated by the work.
Old peasant woman (2024) by Mario ReviglioneQuirinale Palace
Old peasant woman from the Aosta Valley (Ayas)
The portrait of an elderly peasant woman from the Aosta Valley municipality of Ayas dates back to 1925.
The figure, portrayed with extraordinary intensity, releases light from the brilliant blue of her eyes. A deep gaze highlighted by the black handkerchief that frames his face.
Morning
Light is also a crucial element in "Morning", a work by Reviglione dating back to 1930.
In this painting the sun's rays break into the private and introspective dimension of a home, through a French window, metaphorically open onto a valley.
Guido Ferroni, setupQuirinale Palace
Guido Ferroni at Palazzo Pitti
The Quirinale has granted Palazzo Pitti the painting "Figure" for the exhibition "Guido Ferroni. The ancient feeling of painting".
Ferroni (1888-1979) started out as an impressionist and then moved on to metaphysics. He joined the "Novecento Toscano" group.
Figura by Guido FerroniQuirinale Palace
Exhibited for the first time in Florence in 1917, the painting seems to contrast the drama of the ongoing war with the serenity of everyday life.
The painting represents an interior scene, with a female figure sitting on a sofa in the act of putting on a shoe.
The painter lingers fleetingly on the features of the woman and the environment in which she finds herself, to capture the essence of that intimate moment.
Bezzi Rabbi's valley, detailQuirinale Palace
Bartolomeo Bezzi at the Mart in Rovereto
"La valle di Rabbi " was exhibited at the exhibition “Bartolomeo Bezzi. The feeling of time”, organized at the MART in Rovereto for the centenary of the artist’s death.
The painting of the Quirinale dates back to 1878 and consecrated the author on the national art scene.
Bezzi Rabbi's valley, detailQuirinale Palace
The work represents a view of the Alpine valley, located near the Trentino municipality of Rabbi, crossed in the center by the Rabbies torrent.
The steep sides of the mountain slopes frame the snow-capped peaks of the Collecchio and Sas Forà mountains in the background.
Sovrani a tavola setupQuirinale Palace
The porcelain of the Quirinale at the Reggia di Venaria
At the exhibition “Sovereigns at the table. "Lunches set in the Italian courts" at the Venaria Reale, important table services from the Presidency of the Republic were exhibited.
The porcelains selected for the exhibition are part of the collections of the Vasella del Quirinale.
Sovrani a tavola, setupQuirinale Palace
The Quirinale collection, was formed after 1870. The collection exists thanks to Margherita of Savoy, the first queen of Italy, and is inspired by the canons of elegance of the 18th century.
It is composed of approximately 38 thousand Western porcelains and an important nucleus of Oriental elements.
Natural flowers service (2024)Quirinale Palace
The pieces selected for the exhibition were commissioned from the German manufacturer Meissen.
Dulong service (2024)Quirinale Palace
Among the services on display, the one with Medaglioni e rilievi stands out Dulong, equipped with fruit and dessert elements.
Dated 1894, it was commissioned by Queen Margherita of Savoy and stands out for its refined openwork decorations.
Blu flowers (2024) by Servizio tavolaQuirinale Palace
Another service on display is the one featuring blue flowers with a royal crown and gilding.
Commissioned in 1895, it is equipped with a cup for the opening consommé or potage.
Siface banquet (2024) by ArazzoQuirinale Palace
The tapestry "The Banquet at Siface" was also exhibited at the exhibition.
The cloth, also lent by the Quirinale, is part of a series dedicated to the Stories of Scipio Africanus (17th century).
The scene represents the banquet between Scipio and his brother Hasdrubal with Syphax, king of the Numidians.
The Quirinale has also lent the tapestry "The washing of the feet" to the Venaria Reale, as part of the exhibition "In the shadow of Leonardo".
Meridiana setup (2024)Quirinale Palace
The model of Borromini's sundial at Palazzo Barberini
The reconstructive model of Borromini's marble sundial, the original of which is kept by the Presidency of the Republic, was exhibited at Palazzo Barberini.
It was hosted by the exhibition "Citta del Sole. Arte baroque e pensiero scientifico nella Roma di Urbano VIII" .
The reproduction is surmounted by the Petrine keys and the papal tiara, which were lost in the original.
The structure is composed of four concave faces, distinguished by bronze elements: three bees, the heraldic symbol of the Barberini family, and a sun, the emblem of Urban VIII.
The bronze elements allowed a shadow to be cast along the faces of the sundial illuminated by the sun, indicating the time slot throughout the year.
View of the Quirinale gardens, with the sundial by Francesco BorrominiQuirinale Palace
The original of the sundial, sculpted by Francesco Borromini, can be admired in the Gardens of the Quirinale Palace.
Here the bronze elements, which were lost over the centuries, were replaced by metal tips.
An open and accessible treasure chest
The temporary loans project brings the Quirinale's works of art to the most prestigious museums every year.
The loan is an initiative of the Presidency of the Republic to make its artistic heritage known to citizens.
Bezzi exhibition setup photos: MART, Photographic Archive and Media Library
Reviglione exhibition setup photos: MART, Photographic Archive and Media Library
"The City of the Sun" exhibition setup photos: Florence, G. Galilei Museum, Photographic Archive
Detailed photos of Meridiana: General Secretariat of the Presidency of the Republic
Photo of Meridiana Giardini: General Secretariat of the Presidency of the Republic
"Sovereigns at the Table" exhibition setup photos: Alessandro Guida
Photo of Arazzo: General Secretariat of the Presidency of the Republic - Photo of Giuseppe Schiavinotto
Pitti Palace setup photos: courtesy of the Ministry of Culture
