Accademia Carrara

The Accademia Carrara  is an art gallery and an academy of fine arts in Bergamo.

Once you entered there’s a short video introduction in the first room explains how the collection was put together by Accademia Carrara. The museum focuses on the work of local Italian masters and is arranged chronologically, taking you room by room from 15th century religious art to 19th century portrait & historical subjects.

One of the first paintings I liked was “The Story of Virginia the Roman”:

This painting illustrates an episode from Roman history narrated by Livy and taken up by Petrarch and Boccaccio. The decemvir Appius Claudius enamoured of the young Virginia, already promised to the tribune Lucius Caelius, instructs Marcus Claudius to abduct her, and to make out that she was a runaway slave of his. Virginia is led before the court, presided over by Appius himsel, who declares her to be the slave of Marcus. The father, Lucius Verginius, beats her to death to prevent his honor being strined. The narrative ends with the relative’ pain and the expulsion of the decemvirs from Rome.

From December 2th to February 26th the museum will inaugurate a new exhibition: “Un Lotto riscoperto” by Lorenzo Lotto.

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One of the paintings from Lorenzo Lotto captured, in particular, my attention for its colour and details.

The painting illustrates the Virgin’s Assupmtion and the related episode of the donation of the Girdle to Thomas the Apostle. We can recognize Thomas on the left in the background standing on an upland. Lotto’s impressive talent can be easily recognisezed in the incredible repertoire of gestures and emotions expressed by the Apostles, and in the light humor that trespass them. We can appretiate this in the disciple covering his eyes with his hand from the bliding light of the sky, or in the incredullous Apostle wearing glasses, carefully looking inside the empty sepulcher, not caring of what is happening above him.

Moving on, there was “The Young Man lighting a Candle” by Matthias Stomer.

Stomer was one of the Netherlands’ main followers of Caravaggio. He trained in Utrecht, where an important Caravaggesque school had developed, but worked maily in Italy, moving there when he was little more twenty, living in Rome, Naples amd finally Palermo.

I liked this painting for the work of lights, the action made by the young man, portrayed in the picture, looks so real!

Last but not least, I want to share with you this painting: “The Cloister of Saint Francis in Bergamo by Francesco Coghetti.

I found it interesting for the architecture details and the peaceful sensation you get from it. You can really understand the skilfull work of the painter.

The collection of Italian masterpieces is organized and exhibited in a very friendly way. I really found that easier and interesting. There’s a good self guided audio tour. I recommend getting that if you want to enhance your experience going through the museum.

Hope you liked the post and see you to the next one!

Ciao!

Accademia Carrara
Piazza Giacomo Carrara, 82
24121 – Bergamo
+39 035 234396
http://www.lacarrara.it/en/