Art / A MASTERPIECE IN VERSILIA

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A MASTERPIECE

IN VERSILIA

by Manuela Schinaia

Caravaggio's " San Giovanni Battista disteso", star of an exhibition in Camaiore, Tuscany.

The purpose of important cultural exhibitions has always been to attract as many people as possible, naturally to introduce the works on display to the widest possible audience, but sometimes, and mistakenly, curators tend to take the number of admissions as an indicator of its success.

This is perhaps one of the reasons why in culture is more often than not offered only in the high season in popular tourist spots. But now a few courageous curators are riding an opposite wave: that of attracting an attentive, refined or simply curious audience to visit an exhibition, with the ease of doing it in the tranquillity of the low season.

FO: Managing a territory that begins in hills full of history and reaches a sea that since the post-war years has become an international summer ‘must’ can’t be easy: how did this courageous initiative come about?

Alessandro Del Dotto: The summer just ended has been as difficult as it was satisfying for our municipality. Indeed, the administrative complexities that have characterized this difficult period for all of us didn’t diminish out desire to bring culture to the daily lives of our citizens and tourist visitors alike. We managed to put on quite a few events this season, ranging from the Gaber Festival to Camaiore d'Altri Tempi and on to È la via dell'arte. So the arrival in our city of "Il San Giovanni Battista disteso" by Michelangelo Merisi, is another reason to be proud and represents the continuation of what has always been our aim as a Municipal administration: to enhance Camaiore through art, culture and knowledge, especially though events with elements of history and art linked with Camaiore. With this initiative we offer citizens and tourists to chance to admire a precious piece of art that not only belongs to the history of our country, but to the whole world. I sincerely thank everyone involved in making this event possible. "

FO: Managing to present a Caravaggio is a great result!

Daniele Crippa: The Art Promoter Cultural Association has been organizing exhibitions in public spaces for decades, and over the years has presented works by important artists of great cultural depth. The opportunity to be the first in Italy to host a very rare painting by Caravaggio was an opportunity we couldn’t miss. Thanks to the support of art historian Francesco Moretti I was able to present the opportunity to the Mayor of Camaiore, which having one of the most fascinating Museums of Sacred Art in its territory, presented itself as the perfect place. The enthusiasm linked with the vision to involve the world of culture at a time when we all needed a sign of recovery certainly was a determining factor.

FO: Where did this painting come from? What can you tell us about it origins?

Daniele Crippa: The painting has long belonged to a Maltese collector who bought it from its last owner, an American Masonic lodge. The canvas was originally part of the Medici collections, and sailed from the port of Livorno

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to cross the ocean. Since then it has left Malta only for exhibition in a number of major Japanese galleries. It’s hard to convince a collector to part, even if temporarily, with such a masterpiece, but the name Versilia and the prestige of the Museum of Religious Art, so well-guarded for centuries by the Confraternity of the SS. Sacramento di S. Michele Arcangelo and S. Vincenzo Martire, were our secret weapons in this quest!

FO : Is it easy to attribute a work to such a famous artist?

Daniele Crippa: Absolutely not. There are two main theories as to the origin of this canvas, the first that it was painted in Malta/Messina in 1609, and the second that is was painted in Naples in 1610. I’m more convinced by the Maltese one, given that Antonio Martelli, Knight of Malta, was exiled in 1558 after falling out with the Medici, and appears to have helped Caravaggio during his escape from Malta and during his time in Messina. Between October and December 1609 he was also asked to bring the artist back to the island. On the other hand, if the painting had been created in Naples, then it corresponds with the period when Michelangelo Merisi was a guest at the Villa di Chiaia with Costanza Colonna, and so would have been a gift from the Viceroy of Naples to the Duke of Urbino. If this is the case, it could even be an allegorical portrait of crown prince Federico. Both theories make for fascinating stories, as was the entire life of Michelangelo Merisi.

FO: Has Professor Mina Gregori, the world's leading specialist on the artist, expressed her opinion on the authorship of San Giovannino?

Daniele Crippa: Obviously yes. She has confirmed it to be a genuine work by the hand of Caravaggio. Her report also contains a detailed chronological history of the painting’s various changes of ownership, which first appears in the Medici archives in 1641. Above all, her report is backed by references from most of other academics specialized in the work of this iconic artist.

FO: We really felt the enchantment of the area of the Museum the work was exhibited in: how did the visitors react to it?

Daniele Crippa: There are many galleries and museums that already have their own charisma either because they’ve been designed by archistars (referring to contemporary galleries), or because history has endowed them with vast cultural experience. The architecture of the Museum of Sacred Art of Camaiore is already significant in itself, being an example of the classic stately architecture of a city with many ecclesiastic offices, but the Meeting Room of the Confraternity of San Michele Arcangelo, constructed around 1700 I think, is the best possible place to exhibit a masterpiece of this calibre. When Professor Vittorio Sgarbi came to review the San Giovannino, he noticed that the bench where Caravaggio's work was located was surmounted by a tabernacle with a crucifix, almost embraced by two other crucifixes located on either side, in perfect dialogue the crucifix-staff the young Baptist is holding. We couldn’t have it done better!

FO: Getting back to the courageous idea to present an iconic masterpiece of world art in the low season. How did it go?

Daniele Crippa: The first "boost" came from Vittorio Sgarbi’s visit, who also commented on the fascinating sculpture by Matteo Civitali, scheduled for exhibition alongside a sculpture by Vangi in the next important exhibition at Rovereto’s Mart, a major internationally art gallery. The Municipal administration’s decision to stage the exhibition in a low season was very intelligent I think, because it gave residents and local art lovers the chance to view the work in tranquillity, without to chaos of the crowds, as well as facilitating organized tours with visits to the opera, the city and all it has to offer. I think this wave of success will act as a magnet for Christmas tourism as well.

I love to remember an anecdote about Caravaggio, this artistic genius, prisoner of his own opinionated and quarrelsome character, who also possessed sensitivity in recognizing the value of others: when he arrived in Rome and saw the works of Michelangelo, he who was born Michelangelo Merisi, bowing humbly before the works of the great artist, declared that thereafter he would only be called by the name of his family’s birthplace: Caravaggio.