SCINTILLANTI DI VITA E DI SPONTANEITÀ... TIEPOLO: dalla collezione di Pompeo Molmenti alla casa di Ugo Da Como

 

…Sparkling with life and spontaneity…Tiepolo: from Pompeo Molmenti’s collection to Ugo Da Como’s house: this is the title of the exhibition which will be held from 25 th of February to 15 th of October 2023 at the Museum House of Podestà.

The initiative will valorize Tiepolo’s work in the year in which Brescia and Bergamo are Italian Culture Capital, displaying Tiepolo’s works of art which are part of the enormous bequest of Senator Ugo Da Como (1869-1941), housed inside the monumental complex which is named after him.
With this exhibition, Lonato del Garda is part of “The Tiepolo itinerary in the provinces of Brescia and Bergamo”, which leads to the discovery of Tiepolo along these territories.

 

In the context of Luigi Nocivelli Room in the House of Podestà precious works of art on paper are displayed, they are grouped in with the same prestigious provenience, they all belonged to Senator Pompeo Molmenti.

 

They consist in eleven etching engravings which represent Capricci created by Giambattista Tiepolo. They are imaginative drawings which testify the incredible and creative inspiration of the greatest of the Tiepolo family, one of the highest and most
sophisticated expressions of his engraving art, as well as XVIII century Venetian graphic production. The original series of ten Capricci was conceived by Giambattista Tiepolo between 1738 and 1739 and published for the first time in 1743 by Anton Maria Zanetti.
The engravings which are displayed by the Foundation are part of the third and last edition of Capricci published in 1785. This is preceded with a frontispiece with the inscription to Girolamo Manfrin. This edition was probably promoted by the English John Strange, who lived in Venice, purchased by the end of 1784 the copper sheets with the Capricci from the heirs of the printer Zanetti. Displayed for the first time, it is possible to admire a watercolour drawing, autographed by Giambattista Tiepolo, representing l’Incoronazione della Vergine, preparatory to the monochrome fresco realized between 1737 and 1739 for
the Church of Gesuati in Venice.

 

The complete series of Capricci and the drawing of Giambattista Tiepolo weren’t purchased directly by Ugo Da Como, but they arrived at the House Museum in Lonato after Pompeo Molmenti’s dispositions (Venice 1852 – Rome 1928), the Brescian Senator was executor of the will. Pompeo Molmenti was one of the most dear friends of Ugo Da Como. He is considered Brescian by adoption, due to his marriage to the countess Amalia Brunati, hailed from Salò. Molmenti lived in the XVII century villa in Moniga del Garda, village where he became mayor. Thanks to the vineyards of the property of Moniga, Molmenti developed a process of wine-making of Chiaretto wine, even now between the most significant wines of Lake Garda.
To this man very high values from a cultural point of view are recognized, after Italian Unification. Was up to Molmenti the rediscoveringof Tiepolo: after the long XIX century oblivion, he published several monographic studies among these the big monography G.B. Tiepolo, his life and his work (published by Hoepli in 1909).

 

The exhibition organized by the Foundation allows to pay homage to the first main scholar of Tiepolo in the Modern Age.