The new exhibition at MuNDA, dedicated to Abruzzo’s late 19th- and early 20th-century works, ideally concludes the museum’s itinerary with recent acquisitions that highlight the prominent role Abruzzo played in the Italian art scene between the two centuries. The various facets of the veristic style in this region are expressed in the new works on display.
This is the case of Teofilo Patini, a painter with a strong social message, whose latest work focuses on religious themes with symbolic-Masonic overtones, as in his work La Redenzione (The Redemption), one of the new acquisitions. Alongside it, visitors can see the two sculptures Costume di Scanno and Alone… (or Love Basket) by Costantino Barbella and View of Lake Fucino by Aurelio Tiratelli, a rare depiction of the lake before it drained; all these works were acquired by the National Museum of Abruzzo in 2022.
In addition to the Portrait of Teofilo Patini, painted by his pupil Vittorio Scarselli shortly after his master’s death, the visual center of the room centers on a true masterpiece, I morticelli by Francesco Paolo Michetti, which, like a film sequence, depicts the funeral of two young twins along the Francavilla coastline within a large canvas.
And then there’s Pasquale Celommi’s The laundress, which portrays a young woman intent on doing laundry while smilingly looking out at the viewer.
The inauguration of the new layout of the 19th century room will be held on Wednesday, December 21st at 5:00 p.m. and will be accompanied by arias from the concert “Music in the land of Abruzzo: Francesco Paolo Tosti and the 19th century” performed by the “Mario Lucci – Musica e Cultura” Association.
With:
Ilenia Lucci, soprano
Rocco D’Aurelio, tenor
Maria Palma, harpist
Paola Cosentino, acting
Artistic direction: Rocco D’Aurelio
A combination of art, music and literature, which replicates the great artistic and literary partnership of the Michetti circle frequented by d’Annunzio, Tosti and Barbella, whose references are well expressed and visible in the new staging and concert, which pay homage to the 19th century Abruzzo season.
