Renaissance 3/2015 - 1 ,ederica Manoli 23&i"itin' Renaissance 1rt at t&e Poldi Pezzoli M*se*m in Milan ,rom t&e Permanent 4ollection to +em(orar- 23&i"itions ,i'$ 15 Poldi Pezzoli M*seum, t&e Golden Room at t&e "eginnin' of t&e 20t& cent*r-$ Gian Giacomo Poldi Pezzoli (1822-1879), a Mila- Moreover, t&e director &ad to "e t&e same o) t&e nese aristocrat, is no!n a"ove all as an art col- Pinacoteca di .rera$ Poldi Pezzoli also (rovided lector$ %e died in 1879 &avin' !ritten in &is !ill t&at &is &eirs !o*ld reco'nize an ann*it- o) t&at &is a(artment and all t&e !orks o) art ei'&t t&o*sand liras to t&e m*se*m, and t&at t&e &o*sed in it &ad to "ecome an artistic )o*nda- latter sho*ld "e *sed to (*rc&ase art!orks and tion o(en to t&e (*"lic$[1] +&e ,o*ndation &ad to to ta e care o) t&e m*se*m0s conservation and "e named a)ter &is )amily, to remain (rivate and mana'ement activities$ +&e M*se*m o(ened to to "e mana'ed !it& t&e same r*les o) t&e Pina- t&e (*"lic in 1(ril 1881$ coteca di .rera, t&e /ational M*se*m in Milan$ ,ederica Manoli 23&i"iting Renaissance 1rt at the Poldi Pezzoli Museum in Milan *nstte3te$de 3/2015 - 2 ,i'$ 25 Poldi Pezzoli M*seum, t&e .lack Room at t&e "egin- ning o) t&e 20t& cent*r-$ Poldi Pezzoli &ad started &is career as a collec- connoisse*r and, "esides "ein' an art e3(ert tor in 1868, "- (*rc&asin' arms, armo*rs, and &imsel), &e also &ad im(ortant co*nselors, suc& 7e!els. %e started t&e (aintin' collection a )e! as Giovanni Morelli and Gi*se((e .ertini$ :&at -ears later, "*yin', )irst o) all, an oil on canvas !e no! )or sure is t&at &e le)t a collection o) sketc& "- Giam"attista +ie(olo$ 8n addition to some t&ree t&o*sand o"7ects, most o) !&ic& are t&is, &e "o*'&t Roman and Gree ceramics, 9e- considered master(ieces toda-$ :&ile carryin' netian 'lass, (orcelain, te3tiles, car(ets and o*t &is (ro7ect, Poldi Pezzoli (ro'ressivel- )o- clocks$ :&ile collectin' e#er- t-(olo'- o) art, &e c*sed on Renaissance art, !&ic& "ecame t&e de#elo(ed &is (ersonal m*se*m (ro7ect, t&e aim core o) &is collection$ o) !&ic& !as to ac&ieve a summa o) t&e &istor- .esides "*yin' !orks o) art, Poldi &ad o) ever- )orm o) art, )rom t&e arc&aeolo'ical a'e en'a'ed &imsel) in t&e am"itio*s (ro7ect o) de- *( to t&e 19t& cent*ry, )rom ;ma7or< arts to de- coratin' t&e a(artment !&ere &e intended to e3- corative arts, o(enin' &is &o*se to 8talian and in- &i"it &is collection$ 1)ter c&oosin' a )lat on t&e ternational collectors and to art st*dents. main )loor o) &is )amil-0s (alace in do!nto!n =n one side Poldi Pezzoli !as an ;en- Milan, &e called arc&itects, (ainters and artisans cyclo(edic< man, "*t on t&e ot&er one, &e !as a !&o trans)ormed t&e spaces into &istorical #er- &i'& (ro)ile collector (*rc&asin' t&e "est o) rooms. !&at !as availa"le on t&e market, in ever- sec- %e c&ose t&e ;neo-Got&ic< style )or t&e tor$ 1lt&o*'& !e no! ver- little a"o*t &is 1rmory, a space desi'ned "- ,ili((o Peroni (ersonal li)e, &e !as certainly considered a (1809-1878) !&o !orked as desi'ner o) t&e >ca- ,ederica Manoli 23&i"iting Renaissance 1rt at the Poldi Pezzoli Museum in Milan *nstte3te$de 3/2015 - 3 la +&eatre, and t&e neo-.aro?*e style )or t&e so- t&e ;>t*cco Room<, !as decorated imitatin' t&e called @ello! Room &ostin' t&e (orcelain collec- ori'inal st*ccos; moreover, in t&e .lac Room tion, !&ic& co*nted (ieces )rom t&e ma7or 8talian and t&e .edroom, t&e anti?*e decorations !ere and 2*ro(ean man*)actories. +&e 4a"inet, cal- evocated "y (aintin' t&e !alls !it& dark colors. led ;"yzantine< or ;Aante0s<, !as inspired "y t&e >ince t&en, t&e (rivate aristocratic a(art- medieval style, !&ile t&e decorations o) t&ree ment started to loo more and more like a m*- ot&er rooms looked to Renaissance art5 t&e Gol- se*m$ +&e vario*s directors t&at )ollo!ed tried den Room ()i'$ 1), t&e .lac Room ()i'$ 2) and to ee( *( to date t&e displa- o) t&e collections t&e .edroom$ accordin' to t&e most recent m*seolo'ical and Poldi Pezzoli0s e3&i"itin' criterion !as m*seo'ra(&ical t&eories and yet !it&o*t ever "ased on t&e conte3t*alization o) t&e collec- com(letely rene!in' it$ tions. %e !as in)l*enced "- (revio*s e3am(les +&e )irst tem(orar- e3&i"ition !as or- o) &istoric arran'ements, s*c& as %orace :al- 'anized at t&e Poldi Pezzoli M*se*m in 1922 (ole0s (1717-1797) >tra!"err- %ill in +!icken- and re'arded ancient master(ieces ret*rned &am and 1le3andre A* >ommerard0s (1779- )rom 1*stria-H*n'ar-$ >e#eral e3&i"itions on 1862) %otel de 4l*n- in Paris. +&e Poldi Pezzoli vario*s su"7ects )ollo!ed in t&e ne3t years, "*t M*se*m "ecame a model )or su"se?*ent col- t&e )irst sho! on Renaissance art !as &eld onl- lectors: t&e .a'atti 9alsecc&i "rot&ers in Milan, in 1982-83$ 8t !as entitled Denale and Eeonardo ,redric >ti""ert and >te)ano .ardini in and it )oc*sed on Eom"ard art )rom 1680 to t&e ,lorence, Isa"elle >te!art Gardner in .oston, earl- 1Ct& cent*r-$[2] +&e idea o) t&e e3&i"ition t&e ,ric in /e! @or $ came *( d*rin' t&e restoration o) t&e t!o Poldi +&e )irst c&an'es to t&e displa- o) Poldi Pezzoli0s (anels re(resentin' >t$ >te(&en and Pezzoli0s collection !ere introd*ced "- t&e )irst >t$ 1nt&on- )rom Pad*a$ +&e s&o! &ad to re- directors o) t&e M*se*m, and mainl- "- arc&i- volve aro*nd t&e reconstr*ction o) t&e +ri(tyc& tect 4amillo .oito, )rom 1898 to 1916$ In 1900 o) t&e Immac*late 4once(tion (CantF) "- .er- &e re-or'anized t&e (aintin' collection in a c&ro- nardo Denale, to !&ic& t&e (anels ori'inall- "e- nolo'ical and 'eo'ra(&ical orderB )*rt&ermore, lon'ed$ +&ere)ore t&e M*se*m "orro!ed t&e )ollo!in' t&e idea t&at m*se*ms sho*ld "e (la- central (anel )rom t&e Gett- M*se*m in Eos ces )or ed*cation, &e introd*ced descri(tive la- 1n'eles, and t&e ot&er t!o e3ternal (anels )rom "els, in addition to t&e visitors’ '*ide, (*"lished t&e .a'atti 9alsecc&i M*se*m in Milan$ More )or t&e )irst time in 1881$ t&an )i)ty (aintin's "- Denale and ot&er )ollo!ers 1)ter t&at, t&e most im(ortant c&an'e in o) Eeonardo !ere s&o!n in t&e e3&i"ition in or- t&e displa- o) t&e collections and in t&e &istor- der to "etter conte3t*alize t&e tri(tyc& !it&in t&e o) t&e m*se*m too (lace a)ter t&e >econd Eom"ard artistic milie*$ +&e e3&i"ition !as c*ra- :orld :ar$ 8n 1*'*st 1963 an aerial "om"ard- ted "- Ma*ro /atale and 1lessandra Mottola, ment o) t&e .ritis& troo(s &ad destroyed t&e !&ile its displa- !as desi'ned "- t&e Ga(anese Poldi Pezzoli (alace and its &istorical rooms, arc&itect +akashi >&im*ra, !&o (laced all t&e !it& t&e e3ce(tion o) t&e staircase and t&e st*- (aintin's in lar'e 'lass and metal s&o!cases dio, "ot& o) !&ic& still survive$ 1ll t&e art!orks (fi'$ 3)$ &ad "een (revio*sl- evac*ated and !ere "ro*'&t "ac to t&e m*se*m a)ter its recon- str*ction in 1951$ +&e (ost-!ar arc&itect ,erdi- nando Re''iori (1898-197C) avoided re(rod*c- tin' t&e ori'inal decorationB instead o) it, a ver- so"er style !as c&osen$ %o!ever, a )e! e3ce(- tions !ere made5 t&e @ello! Room, t&en called ,ederica Manoli 23&i"iting Renaissance 1rt at the Poldi Pezzoli Museum in Milan *nstte3te$de 3/2015 - 6 ,i'$ 35 .ernardo Denale (c. 16C0H152C), +ri(tych of t&e 8m- maculate 4onception of 4antF, 1502, tem(era and oil on !ood, Poldi Pezzoli M*seum, Milan, t&e Gett- M*seum Eos 1ngeles and t&e .agatti 9alsecchi M*seum, Milan$ +&is s&o! introd*ced in t&e Poldi Pezzoli M*se- +&e result !as an e3traordinar- sho!, !&ere t&e *m a ne! !a- o) conceivin' e3&i"itions, !&ic& ;>t*diolo<, t&at is t&e ca"inet in !&ic& Renais- &ad to )oc*s on t&e m*se*m0s collections, (ro- sance (rinces *sed to kee( t&eir collections, vidin' ne! in-de(t& st*d- )rom an &istorical, emer'ed as t&e (lace !&ere &*manistic c*lt*re scienti)ic and tec&nical (oint o) vie!$ +&is "eca- !as develo(ed at its "est$ +&is #er- same c*l- me a '*ideline )or t&e m*se*m0s e3&i"it (olicy, t*re 'ave "irt& to t&e icono'ra(&ic (ro'ram o) !&ic& is still )ollo!ed toda-$ +em(orar- e3&i"iti- Eionello and .orso d02ste0s ca"inet in t&e ons are installed in t&e 'ro*nd0s )loor main &all, .el)iore Palace in ,errara, namel- t&e ca"inet to in order to se(arate t&em )rom t&e (ermanent !&ic& t&e (aintin's (ortrayin' +er(sic&ore and collections !&ic& are &osted on t&e )irst )loor$ t&e ot&er m*ses "elon'ed$ 8n t&e e3&i"ition, t&is 8n 1991, t&e Poldi Pezzoli or'anized t&e !as s*''ested "y t&e )loor desi'n ()i'$ 6).