Anyone who has studied Italian art knows about the Pinacoteca di Brera. It is the main gallery in Milan and contains one of the largest collections of Italian paintings to date. This beautiful Baroque-style building was erected over the remains of a 14th-century monastery of the Umiliati order. Unlike most museums, Brera did not start as a private collection and then built up over time. This gallery was a product of a deliberate policy decision. It became a museum to host the most important works of art from all the areas conquered by the French armies.
I was forced in college to take an elective course in art history. After taking many other art history classes due to the requirements, I dreaded them. So the day came where I needed to pick another art history class. I was scrolling through the options when the description for a class called "17th-century art" caught my eye. Throwing names around like Caravaggio, Tintoretto, and Raphael in the details, and I thought, "I know them, this will be easy!" In that split second, I signed up for the class. After ten weeks, many excruciating tests, and a 20-page term paper later, I was able to identify other artists like Giovanni Bellini, Piero della Francesca, and Francesco Hayez. All of which have masterpieces within the Pinacoteca di Brera.
The day I decided to go to the Brera, I had little to no expectations. I hadn't been to a gallery of this extent before and was worried I would be a bit overwhelmed. I also liked to look at art but not analyze it to death, so I was worried my visit would end up being a waste of money. I even walked by the building the first time I saw it because the outside blends in well with the buildings around the gallery.
I cannot say that the same goes for the inside once you step into the courtyard. It is magnificent. The columns that surround you are constructed and made of marble like the rest of the building. Outdoor staircases lead up to the second floor, allowing you to look out over the entirety of the plaza. The stillness of the environment is almost chilling to the bone because it feels like you have stepped back in time. It is something I have never experienced before. The sculptures seemed to follow you and tell their story along the way as you made your way up the stairs to the gallery. Some, having some chips and limbs missing due to the damage it had endured. They seemed to be wanting your attention without speaking.
Inside the physical gallery is when everything seemed to come to life in its own quiet, peaceful way. The expression of color within the paintings splashed against the white marble walls giving the illusion that the masterpieces contained their own life, each piece radiating energy that stood out in its own way. Gallery-goers were walking through the connecting rooms stopping sometimes briefly, sometimes in great length, to view these pops of color. Title cards and audio tours were provided and encouraged to read and listen to. One woman wept as she admired work, and I passed her with my utmost graceful stride. I did not want to do anything to disrupt the emotion and energy everyone was extruding.
Some of my favorite paintings I had learned about in class rested against the walls of the gallery.
St. Mark Preaching in Alexandria - Gentile Bellini and Giovanni Bellini
Commissioned by Gentile Bellini in 1504, this work of art was left incomplete when the artist died in 1507. Gentile convinced his brother, Giovanni, to finish the piece. Among scholars, the attributions of each artist are still being disputed. Many scholars do believe that the unnamed artist used elements of Venetian architecture and superimposed them on structures that are clearly Mediterranean and Oriental derivation, which would mean that they're familiar to the artist. Whereas, Giovanni was suspected to be responsible for the intense portraits of the people in the group to the left. The masterpiece once hung in the reception room of the Scuola Grande di San Marco in Venice, but now has found its final resting place at the Brera.
The Marriage of the Virgin - Raffaello Sanzio (Raphael)
When Raphael painted this work of art in 1504, he did so with another painting in mind. Being inspired by an altarpiece with the same subject done by Perugino, Raphael used the composition and iconography to obtain a similar result of perfection. By using infrared reflectography on Raphael's painting, they discovered that a dense set of lines were converging on the temple door. The lines indicated that Raphael used the image perspective system. This system allowed the temple to become the visual center of the composition. Having the figures in a semi-circle enhances the geometric aspects and balances the line of the architecture within the piece. By having Raphael insert this system, he was able to create this geometrical representation of beauty.
Supper at Emmaus - Caravaggio
Between 1605 and 1606, Caravaggio created Supper at Emmaus, one of my favorite pieces of art. Caravaggio was a bit of a different character. He painted this painting while he was fleeing Rome due to slaying a man of the name Ranuccio Tomassoni. Before being found guilty of murder, Caravaggio managed to sell it. A table with a carpet draped over is a typical tell-tale sign that this masterpiece was Caravaggio's. This subject matter was a second go-around for him. The first depiction of the scene now remains in the National Gallery in London. This version displays a greater intimacy than the first and has a muted palette. Caravaggio's artwork is widely admired for his dramatic, theatrical treatment of light, which is also in effect in this piece.
The Kiss - Francesco Hayez
Known as one of the most widely reproduced Italian paintings, this image symbolizes the love for the motherland and thirst for a life of the part of the young nation. It had immediate success both for the patriotic values and the medieval inspiration of the subject. At that point in time, the public was daring, and the kiss within this painting reflected that. The patriotic theme was pushed even further by the red stockings, green lapel on the cloak, and the blue and white gown. All of which alluded to the flags of Italy and France. Hayez loved this subject matter so much that he made multiple paintings emulating the theme, but this one is his more well known.
The Pinacoteca di Brera has so many more beautiful, unique paintings within its doors. There was so much to see and experience. The rooms all varied in size, some being smaller and feeling more intimate, while others had tall ceilings and contained massive sculptures. There was always something to look at, and even if the museum was busy, it is spacious enough to obliterate the feeling of overcrowdedness.
At the time, I did not know what I was getting myself into, but I found the gallery both educational and entertaining. Watching all the art lovers gather around a masterpiece and discuss it was fascinating. The title cards and audio tour also helped me with paintings I did not know. That is a museum where one could get lost for the entire day and not have it feel like time was passing. There is no way to be able to see every piece of art this gallery holds in one day, so I know that next time I visit, I will be able to see works that are new to my own eyes.
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