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GIANLUCA SPOSATO GLI UOMINI ILLUSTRI DI ANDREA DEL CASTAGNO ALLE GALLERIE DEGLI UFFIZI Vicende Conservative, Collezionistiche E Museografiche in “Imagines”, N

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GIANLUCA SPOSATO GLI UOMINI ILLUSTRI DI ANDREA DEL CASTAGNO ALLE GALLERIE DEGLI UFFIZI Vicende Conservative, Collezionistiche E Museografiche in “Imagines”, N GIANLUCA SPOSATO GLI UOMINI ILLUSTRI DI ANDREA DEL CASTAGNO ALLE GALLERIE DEGLI UFFIZI Vicende conservative, collezionistiche e museografiche in “Imagines”, n. 4, maggio 2020, pp. 180-201 n.4 | maggio 2020 Gianluca Sposato GLI UOMINI ILLUSTRI DI ANDREA DEL CASTAGNO ALLE GALLERIE DEGLI UFFIZI Vicende conservative, collezionistiche e museografiche 1 Alla luce di nuove indagini documentali è possibile delineare con maggiore chiarezza le alterne vicissitudini di cui fu protagonista il ciclo degli Uomini Illustri, affrescato da Andrea del Castagno fra il 1448 ed il 1451 per la Villa Carducci-Pandolfini in località 2 Legnaia . Effige di un forte credo politico, morale e religioso, tutt’oggi di controversa interpretazione, l’affresco era pensato come una muta ma intensa conversazione di personaggi sacri e profani, inquadrati in un illusionistico portico con nicchie e accompagnati da una processione di putti e festoni all’antica. Realizzato su almeno 3 due delle tre pareti di un loggiato aperto (poi tamponato) sulla campagna che separava Scandicci da Firenze, il ciclo era comunque destinato all’ammirazione di pochi intimi privilegiati e a distanza di un solo secolo dalla sua realizzazione, 4 così come testimoniato dall’ambiguità delle fonti , finì per essere ingiustamente dimenticato dalla storia. Forse già alla fine del XVI secolo, in data imprecisata, le pareti della stanza vennero scialbate per un sovvertimento degli ordini di gusto o più probabilmente a causa di una nuova destinazione d’uso della villa, non più di carattere residenziale. Certo è che gli affreschi, sepolti sotto l’intonaco, scomparvero alla memoria dei più per oltre due secoli. 5 Soltanto fra il 1847 ed il 1848 la parete lunga del ciclo, con i nove personaggi laici, 6 venne riscoperta dietro lo scialbo da alcuni anonimi operatori . Subito gravitò attorno all’opera un certo grado di interesse da parte di artisti, amatori e collezionisti. Nello stesso anno 1848 fu commissionata una litografia della parete all’artista Alessandro Chiari (notizie dal 1828 al 1865), affinché se ne diffondesse ancor più notizia (fig. 1). Villa Carducci-Pandolfini, reimpiegata come proprietà agricola, era allora di proprietà della marchesa Marianna Rinuccini (1812-1880), in base all’eredità acquisita dall’estinta 7 casata Buondelmonte . Ad occuparsi degli affreschi fu il marito di lei, Giorgio Teodoro Trivulzio (1803-1865), patrizio milanese ed appassionato collezionista, sia perché effettivo gestore delle sue finanze, sia perché diretto esperto in materia d’arte. Egli era perfettamente conscio del valore di questa scoperta: avendo reputato i detti affreschi 8 “pregevolissimi, tanto per il pennello che li ha dipinti, quanto per i soggetti ritratti” , ritenne opportuno bloccare la vendita della villa programmata dai Rinuccini. Motivò 180 181 n.4 | maggio 2020 1 Alessandro Chiari, Uomini celebri dipinti a fresco da Andrea del Castagno in villa Carducci-Pandolfini, incisione ad acquaforte, 1848, ubicazione ignota (fotografia di anonimo, probabilmente post-1903, Gallerie degli Uffizi, fondo fotografico dell’Ufficio Catalogo). 10 infatti così: “Vendendo il podere di Legnaja [gli affreschi] non sarebbero punto di distacco fu il restauratore emiliano Giovanni Rizzoli (1799-1878) , nativo di Pieve 9 valutati dal Compratore, e potrebbe essere forse soggetto di speculazione per altri” . di Cento, considerato uno dei migliori ‘estrattisti’ del periodo e attivo assiduamente 11 Trivulzio si consultò dunque presso vari intendenti d’arte a proposito di una possibile anche in Toscana . Il 19 settembre 1850, l’avvocato alle dipendenze della famiglia estrazione dal muro degli affreschi. Suo obiettivo era quello di rendere le opere mobili, Rinuccini, Leopoldo Pini, scrisse con urgenza al Trivulzio: in modo da poterle rivolgere ad un pubblico di acquirenti toscani. Il rumore sollevato dalla scoperta del ciclo, nonché la provvida vigilanza del Granducato, gli impedivano “Ill.mo Sign. Marchese, infatti di portare con sé gli affreschi a Milano (come aveva già fatto con diverse altre Mentre si stava per chiudere lo Scrittojo si presentò qui un tal Sign. opere di proprietà Rinuccini) o di poterli illegalmente smerciare. Michele Ristori [sic] annunziandosi Artista, inviato in cerca di Lei Prima ancora che Trivulzio potesse agire, a proporsi personalmente per l’operazione dagl’impiegati della Galleria di sotto gli Uffizi per esaminare alcu- 182 183 n.4 | maggio 2020 ni dipinti di Andrea del Castagno esistenti in uno dei Poderi situati padiglione scoperto da angeli, mentre alle due estremità troneggiano le figure di Adamo a Legnaia. Dopo varie interrogazioni direttegli dal Sig. Marchese di ed Eva. Il descialbo di questa porzione venne probabilmente interrotto per lo scarso Lajatico, che per l’affare Arrighi si era recato a Firenze, e che disse ri- interessamento rivolto a soggetti minori di natura devozionale: se non immediatamente, 19 cordarsi aver con Lei tenuto proposito di queste Pitture, fu rilasciato poco tempo dopo la parete in questione venne nuovamente ricoperta d’intonaco . 20 l’ordine perché il Sig. Ristori potesse esaminarle. Ritornato, rese con- Le operazioni d’estrazione terminarono entro il 29 ottobre 1850 . Non molti si to della sua visita, disse le pitture essere bellissime, potersi trasporta- erano aspettati una svolta così imprevista, tanto che ai “maggiori [esperti] quelle re sulla Tela senza alcun guasto o alterazione, ed essere Esso in grado pitture […] [erano sembrate] talmente infisse alla proprietà stabile, da non poterne 12 21 di garantire, che la operazione sarebbe riuscita di sicuro esito” . mai essere distratte” . Queste opinioni suggeriscono in effetti la possibilità che la pellicola pittorica fosse particolarmente vincolata alla parete, e forse, in molti punti, 22 Nonostante la scarsa familiarità dello scrivente con la questione (il nome del Rizzoli, anche al degrado della stessa . Rizzoli decise dunque di utilizzare colle animali 13 qui frainteso, venne corretto solamente in una seguente missiva) , la notizia particolarmente forti per garantire una salda presa dello strappo. Ce lo conferma una venne accolta di buon grado dal Trivulzio, che era già stato informato dell’abilità diretta testimonianza dal cantiere della Villa, trasmessaci sempre dall’avvocato Pini: 14 del restauratore emiliano da diversi esperti . Nel corso di pochi giorni si presero accordi per la commissione. Il trasporto, secondo il parere del Rizzoli, doveva farsi “È finito il trasporto dei nove quadri. Tutti belli. Meravigliosa la necessariamente su tela e tramite strappo. Altre tecniche, che comunque era ben in mezza figura rappresentante Ester. All’Acciajoli è venuto un braccio 15 grado di esercitare , avrebbero probabilmente compromesso l’integrità delle opere. con qualche piccolo difetto a causa della tenacità, con la quale la Garantendo un sicuro esito, forte dei successi già ottenuti in Toscana, l’estrattista tela si era adesa al muro. Ma il nostro bravo Campanajo, a suon di 16 richiese per le spese dell’intera operazione la somma di 320 Francesconi . I lavori moccoli alla Romagnola e coll’ajuto dei Contadini, giunse a staccar- 17 23 cominciarono nei primi giorni di ottobre del 1850 : Rizzoli strappò i personaggi uno le e a finire la operazione” . ad uno, sezionando esattamente la metà delle lesene di ciascuna nicchia, eliminando i capitelli di queste e le decorazioni superiori a trompe-l’oeil. Probabilmente, per una Questa nota colorita tuttavia dimostra quanto potessero essere resistenti e questione di costi e di preferenze, i committenti richiesero all’operatore di occuparsi potenzialmente dannose le misture di colla usate in quel tipo di trasferimenti. Il esclusivamente dei nove riquadri delle grandi figure. Ad aver fatto particolare scalpore pigmento pittorico (forse non solo in questo riquadro) non resistette in toto alla forza in quei pochi anni, infatti, era stata la riscoperta dei nove personaggi illustri di mano traente della nuova tela e finì per corrompersi. I restauri novecenteschi accertarono di artista raro e non tanto quella di una decorazione domestica quattrocentesca nel quindi che l’estrattista, durante la pulizia finale delle tele, non fu in grado di rimuovere suo complesso. Gli illusionistici soffitti, il fregio superiore ad intreccio vegetale, il del tutto le tracce di questa colla, che continuò ad affiorare in sottili ma resistenti strati 24 soppalco coi graziosi putti, il basamento inferiore a finti marmi, tutti vennero lasciati e causò non pochi problemi di conservazione . Non casualmente, Rizzoli consegnava 25 in situ, come cornice di scarso valore. Ugualmente non si fece nulla per portare in piena sempre i suoi strappi alle cure di urgenti restauri pittorici . In tal senso, suo collaboratore luce la parete breve, che, contrariamente a quanto finora noto, venne parzialmente per le operazioni fiorentine fu il pittore purista Antonio Marini (1788-1861). Il loro 26 individuata già nel 1850. Ce lo testimonia un’ennesima missiva dell’avvocato Pini: sodalizio, iniziato nel 1842 con le operazioni nel Duomo , venne riconfermato intorno 27 al 1850, in occasione di diverse altre commissioni del Rizzoli . Grazie alla scoperta di “[…] e sarà scoperta la parete, ove esiste una Annunziazione bellis- nuovi documenti, è possibile sostenere che il Marini intervenne anche sugli affreschi 28 sima, per quanto è dato ora argomentare dalle due teste della Ma- del Castagno: a una breve menzione fatta da Eleonora Rinuccini in una sua lettera , si donna e dell’arcangelo con qualche altra parte delle due
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