This article originally appeared in the November 2018 issue of Dream of Italy. Find the main What’s New in 2019 article here.
From the end of February, visitors to Milan have an opportunity to visit a yet-to-be-announced selection of works by one of the most famous French Neoclassical painters- Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres. Fortunately for the Milanese and visitors alike, the Ingres museum in Montauban, France is currently closed and undergoing a complete restoration. It would be a crime against art fans to keep the collection hidden away during construction, so pieces will take temporary refuge in the Palazzo Reale at the exhibit called Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres: La Vita Artistica al Tempo dei Bonaparte.
Ingres was intensely influenced by Italy and he spent almost a quarter century in the bel paese which significantly inspired his work. Upon receiving mediocre reviews and feeling undervalued as an artist, Ingres left France for Italy where he hoped to finally find fame and recognition from his colleagues. While that was not the immediate case, Ingres did produce some beautiful works in his time in various Italian cities, particularly in Rome.
In fact, in 1819, Ingres sent one of his most famous works, La Grande Odalisque, to the Salon in Paris from Italy hoping it would bring him praise and merit from his homeland. The painting is well-known by anyone who has ever taken a class in Art History and is a combination of classical themes and romantic lines and shapes. La Grande Odalisque did not receive great reviews in France and Ingres was criticized for his sensual and fantastical lines in depicting the woman in the portrait.
From February, visitors can learn about the artist’s life and work and form their own opinions on Ingres’ masterpieces at Milan’s Palazzo Reale. — Danielle Abbazia
Ingres at the Palazzo Reale
Dates: Februarry 22 to June 16, 2019
Hours: Monday from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., Thursday and Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Tickets: 12€ for full price ticket; guests between 6 and 26 years of age and over 65 10€
Photo by Dennis Jarvis on Flickr