Bologna: Pinacoteca Nazionale

In 2020 I was unfortunately unable to visit the Pinacoteca Nazionale, as the museum had closed temporarily because of the COVID-19 pandemic. I was therefore quite eager to go to the Pinacoteca when I was back in Bologna four years later. On the way from Florence to Bologna it was raining cats and dogs, and it did not stop raining once I had reached Bologna. Fortunately Bologna is a city that has several kilometres of galleries, so after a short walk from the station I arrived at the Pinacoteca Nazionale with my clothes still dry. I had decided to come early because it was the first Sunday of the month, a day when most national museums offer free admission. There were not that many visitors yet, but when I left the museum again several hours later the crowd had certainly grown.

The Pinacoteca Nazionale opened its doors in 1808. As is so often the case at Italian museums, this museum too is full of art – almost exclusively paintings – that came from churches and convents in and around Bologna. The collection of the Pinacoteca is huge, so I will follow my usual method and discuss ten personal highlights.

1. Polyptych of Bologna – Giotto

The first work that I like to mention was not painted by an artist from Bologna, but by a foreigner from the Tuscan city of Florence named Giotto di Bondone (ca. 1266-1337). His polyptych in room 3 – also known as the Polittico di Bologna – dates from ca. 1330, which makes it a late work. In the centre of the polyptych we see the Madonna and Child on a throne, with above them in a tondo God the Father. On the left Saint Peter and the archangel Gabriel have been depicted. The latter is of course the angel of the Annunciation, and the text on the scroll in his hand is that of an Ave Maria (Hail Mary). On the right we see Saint Michael the Archangel, killing a dragon, and Saint Paul. Below the full-size figures five tondi have been painted with the faces of, from left to right, Saint John the Baptist, the Virgin Mary, Jesus Christ, Saint John the Evangelist and Saint Mary Magdalene. It is assumed that the polyptych was painted for a chapel in the apostolic palace in Bologna. This Rocca di Galliera had been built by cardinal Bertrando del Poggetto (ca. 1280-1352) as a temporary papal residence. It was the cardinal’s intention to entice Pope John XXII (1316-1334) to return from Avignon to Rome.

In 1334 the Rocca di Galliera was destroyed by a furious mob. Fortunately Giotto’s altarpiece was saved and later moved to the church of Santa Maria degli Angeli. From there it ended up in the Pinacoteca Nazionale. The altarpiece had regretfully been sawn into pieces, but in 1894 it was reassembled. At the foot of the throne the polyptych has been signed with the words OP[VS] MAGISTRI IOCTI DE FLORENTIA, “a work by master Giotto from Florence”. The degree of involvement of the great master himself has, however, been debated.[1] In 1330 Giotto was already well into his sixties. He was in charge of a large studio and had many assistants and students working for him. The Polyptych of Bologna is certainly a decent work, but it cannot be called exceptional or unique. It is mostly of interest to those who, like your author, have made it their mission to see everything Giotto ever painted.

2. Saint John – Vitale da Bologna

Unlike Giotto, Vitale da Bologna (ca. 1310-1360) was a native of Bologna. Unfortunately very little is known about his life. In the 1330s he painted a large fresco of the Last Supper for the convent next to the church of San Francesco. We may lament the fact that very little remains of this fresco, but the surviving head of the sleeping Saint John against Christ’s chest is very touching. The fresco fragment can be found in room 6.

3. Frescoes from the Santa Maria di Mezzaratta

The surviving frescoes from the church of Santa Maria di Mezzaratta in room 8 are very impressive indeed. Although it has been deconsecrated, this small church still stands and is now usually called Santa Apollonia di Mezzaratta. Mezza ratta means something along the lines of “halfway”: the church is situated halfway between the city of Bologna and the top of the Colle dell’Osservanza. Between 1338 and 1380 at least ten different painters worked on the frescoes in the building. Among them were the aforementioned Vitale da Bologna and his student Simone dei Crocifissi (ca. 1330-1399). The frescoes were later whitewashed and heavily damaged by damp. Between 1949 and 1963 they were detached and ultimately moved to the Pinacoteca Nazionale. Room 8 is basically a replica of the interior of the Santa Maria di Mezzaratta: the frescoes have been positioned in the same way as they must have once been visible in the church. The large fresco of the Nativity was painted by Vitale da Bologna himself. The frescoes on the walls feature scenes from the lives of Joseph, Moses and Jesus.

4. Pope Urbanus V – Simone dei Crocifissi

The aforementioned Simone dei Crocifissi was actually called Simone di Filippo, but acquired his nickname “Simone of the Crucifixes” because of the beautiful crucifixes that he painted. In the Pinacoteca Nazionale we mostly find large altarpieces by this painter, but I personally thought a portrait by Simone of Pope Urbanus V (1362-1370) was the most interesting work. During the pontificate of this Urbanus, Avignon was the papal residence. Urbanus’ predecessor Innocentius VI (1352-1362) had already wanted to return to Rome, but that was easier said than done. Much of Italy, including the Eternal City, was no longer under papal control. The job to reclaim the lost territories was entrusted to the Spanish cardinal Gil Álvarez Carrillo de Albornoz (1310-1367). His most important achievement was the capture of the city of Bologna at the end of 1360. However, Innocentius died before he could start planning his actual return to Rome.

In 1366, Pope Urbanus V publicly expressed his desire to return the papacy to Rome. In spring of the next year, he began the journey back to the Eternal City, arriving at the port of Corneto (Tarquinia) in June of 1367. On 16 October of the same year, he entered Rome at the head of his troops. By that time, his trusted servant cardinal Albornoz was already dead. The Pope energetically started restoring the cathedral of San Giovanni in Laterano and the Lateran Place, both still heavily damaged by a fire in 1308. However, now that his military mastermind the cardinal was in his grave, many Italian cities began to rebel against papal rule. Urbanus was moreover urgently needed in France because of developments in the Hundred Years’ War between France and England. Perhaps more importantly, the move back to Rome had been very unpopular with the French cardinals, who by now dominated the College. There was probably a sigh of relief when, on 4 September 1370, Urbanus V moved back to Avignon. By the end of the year he was dead. It was not until 1377 that the papacy was returned to the Eternal City for good.

5. Paradise and Hell – Maestro dell’Avicenna

This small panel with Paradise and Hell dates from ca. 1435. It is painted by an anonymous master who is apparently known as the Maestro dell’Avicenna. I had personally never heard of this painter, and I have not been able to establish why he was named after the Persian physician Avicenna (Ibn Sina). One result of my online search was the theory that the real name of the Maestro dell’Avicenna may have been Giovanni di Nicolò Bellini il Vecchio. This Giovanni was a brother of Jacopo Bellini, the father of the famous Venetian painters Giovanni (ca. 1430-1516) and Gentile Bellini (ca. 1429-1507). It is hard to say whether the identification is correct, but in any case the museum still only uses the name Maestro dell’Avicenna. The painter must have been intimately familiar with the Cappella dei Re Magi in the basilica of San Petronio in Bologna. Between 1408 and 1420 Giovanni da Modena (ca. 1379-1455) painted beautiful frescoes in this chapel, including a scene of Paradise and Hell. The work of the Maestro dell’Avicenna is basically a loose copy of this scene.

6. Crying Mary Magdalene – Ercole de’ Roberti

Ercole de’ Roberti (ca. 1451-1496) from Ferrara was a notorious drunk, at least according to his biographer Giorgio Vasari, who wrote that the painter’s alcohol addiction contributed to his premature death. The story sounds like gossip, and much of Vasari’s biography is rubbish anyway. He for instance claims that Ercole had been a student of Lorenzo Costa (1460-1535), but Lorenzo was several years younger than Ercole, which makes the story rather unlikely. Ercole de’ Roberti was commissioned by the son of a certain Domenico Garganelli to paint a series of frescoes for a chapel in the cathedral of San Pietro. One of the frescoes represented a Crucifixion of Christ, painted on the right wall. Of this fresco only a tiny fragment with the head of Mary Magdalene has been preserved. The fragment is nevertheless an intense portrait. Just look at the wide open mouth and the tears below Mary’s eyes. Vasari claims that Ercole worked on the frescoes in the Cappella Garganelli for twelve years, spending seven years on the frescoes themselves and another five years on adding the details a secco. This story does not sound very credible either, but there can be no doubt that Ercole de’ Roberti put a lot of time and effort into his work.

7. Saint Cecilia – Raphael

This work in room 15 drew such a crowd that I had to wait for a while before I could admire it properly and take photos. Raphael or Raffaello Sanzio (1483-1520) was of course not a native of Bologna. His hometown was Urbino in the Marche, and he ultimately died in Rome. Raphael painted his altarpiece with Saint Cecilia for the church of San Giovanni in Monte in Bologna. He had very likely been commissioned by Elena Duglioli (1472-1520), a wealthy, pious and exceptionally chaste Bolognese noblewoman. The work was presumably completed around 1517. It was originally a panel painting, which the French confiscated in 1798 and took to Paris. There the work was transferred to canvas several years later. In 1815 Saint Cecilia returned to Bologna and the painting was put on display at the Pinacoteca Nazionale.

Cecilia is considered the patron saint of music, although we do not really know why. She is holding a portable pipe organ and several musical instruments can be seen lying at her feet. In the church of Santa Cecilia in Rome, where her relics are kept, musical performances are held on her feast day (22 November). Raphael has surrounded Cecilia with four other saints. On the far left is Saint Paul with a sword and – very remarkable – a full head of hair. He is usually depicted as a balding man. Next to him we see Saint John the Evangelist with an eagle. The church of San Giovanni in Monte is dedicated to him. To the right of Cecilia are Saints Augustine and Mary Magdalen. The painting has a number of very nice details. Note for instance the motifs on Cecilia’s dress.

8. The Gozzadini family – Lavinia Fontana

Some will lament it, others will simply shrug, but it is a fact that the Pinacoteca Nazionale is dominated by works of men. Fortunately the museum also has a work by one of the best-known female painters from Bologna, Lavinia Fontana (1552-1614). Her father Prospero Fontana (1512-1597) was also a painter and allowed his daughter to pick up the brush, which was hardly self-evident in the sixteenth century. But Prospero even gave painting lessons to Lavinia, after which she won a reputation as an excellent portrait painter. In the Pinacoteca Nazionale we find her portrait of the Gozzadini family, which was painted in 1584.

The family portrait features the sisters Laudomia and Ginevra Gozzadini with their father and husbands. The small dog on the table symbolises fidelitas, or loyalty. In the background we see another dog. The members of the family cannot all have sat for the portrait, as daddy Ulisse was long dead when Lavinia Fontana was commissioned by daughter Laudomia. Ginevra Gozzadini had also passed away already. The family portrait is nevertheless a splendid work, of very high quality, with beautiful details. The only downside is that the painting is very difficult to photograph, as the veneer very annoyingly reflects the light.

9. Victorious Samson – Guido Reni

Bologna and Guido Reni go hand in hand. Guido Reni (1575-1642) was the most famous Bolognese Baroque painter. He was, moreover, a prolific painter to boot. Of all his works in the Pinacoteca Nazionale I liked his painting of the Victorious Samson the best. The Biblical hero has just beaten to death a thousand Philistines with a donkey’s jawbone. He named the place where that event occurred Ramat-Lechi (Judges 15:17), which means “jaw hill”. Killing so many people had left Samson very thirsty, so God let the earth crack open and a well sprang up. Samson then drank from the well, but that is not what we see in the painting. Instead, the hero drinks from the donkey’s jawbone. According to this source, this is the result of a translation error from Hebrew. As the place of the carnage was called “jaw hill”, the translator mistakenly assumed that the water gushed from the jawbone.

Guido Reni painted his Samson in 1614-1616 for Count Luigi Zambeccari. The unusual shape of the canvas can be explained by the fact that it was intended for a spot above the fireplace in the count’s residence. The work was later purchased by cardinal Girolamo Boncompagni (1622-1684) and passed into the hands of the Senate of Bologna after the cardinal’s death in 1684. It can currently be admired in room 24 of the museum. There we also find another impressive work by Guido Reni, his Massacre of the Innocents from 1611, which comes from the church of San Domenico in Bologna.

10. Saint Rochus and the angel – Matteo Loves

The last work to be discussed in this post is a painting that features Saint Rochus with an angel. The work dates from 1625-1630 and the maker was Matteo Loves. He was an Englishman who worked in Italy, but very little is known about him. Loves is considered a student of Giovanni Francesco Barbieri, more commonly known as Guercino. I had previously seen a work by Loves in Modena, i.e. a portrait of the former duke Alfonso III d’Este. The painting of Saint Rochus and the angel is particularly striking because of the splendid use of colour.

Website of the museum: Pinacoteca Nazionale di Bologna – Home (beniculturali.it)

Note

[1] See Francesca Flores d’Arcais, Giotto, p. 354-357.