From May 20 to June 2025, the Maurizio Nobile Fine Art gallery in Bologna is hosting a new exhibition that offers a multifaceted journey through paintings, sculptures and drawings from the 16th century to contemporary times. The exhibition, preceded by a vernissage scheduled for May 17 at 6 p.m., is distinguished by the presence of works by artists of historical importance, from Matthias Stomer to Claude Vignon, from Domenico Fetti to Amico Aspertini, passing through Guercino and Pietro Paolini, and the most recent creations of Catalan artist Joan Crous.
The common thread of the initiative lies in the dialogue between different eras and languages, in a confrontation that aims to emphasize continuities and tensions between the visual legacy of the past and contemporary artistic production. Particular attention is paid to a painting by Pietro Paolini (Lucca, 1603 - 1681), an atypical and still little-investigated figure of the Italian seventeenth century, active mainly in Lucca. The work on display is an allegorical female portrait, identifiable perhaps with Lesbia, the woman sung by Catullus in his carols. The painting presents itself as an elusive and ambiguous image, in keeping with the artist’s most enigmatic visual inventions. The suggested interpretation makes it an allegory that recalls the tensions between Eros, Thanatos and Voluptas, recurrent elements in Baroque imagery. The suspended atmosphere and subtle eroticism that characterize the canvas help accentuate its allusive tone, making it one of the finest examples of Caravaggesque painting from Lucca. Alongside Paolini’s painting, the exhibition presents an unpublished sanguine sheet by Guercino, datable between 1635 and 1640. The work depicts a study for the figure of a wizard king. Although it does not appear to be related to a known painting by the artist, it is speculated that it may be a repertory study, perhaps conceived with a view to a possible commission or intended to be translated into print. The drawing reveals the graphic and compositional skills of the master from Cento, but also his qualities as a colorist, evident despite the monochrome use of the medium. The importance of this graphic document is amplified by the recent renewed interest in Guercino’s work, also sanctioned by the recently concluded exhibition dedicated to him at the Scuderie del Quirinale. The selection of works also includes works by Matthias Stomer, a Dutch painter active in Italy and known for the luministic intensity of his Caravaggesque compositions, and by Claude Vignon, a French artist with an eclectic stylistic figure influenced as much by Caravaggism as by Mannerist and Nordic elements. Also featured are works by Domenico Fetti, a central figure in the visual culture of post-Caravaggesque Rome, and Amico Aspertini, a Bolognese painter active between the 15th and 16th centuries, known for his eccentric and visionary style.
The itinerary concludes with the inclusion of recent works by Catalan artist Joan Crous. His works directly confront the exhibition environment, connecting the historical dimension of the gallery with a contemporary research focused on matter, light and form. Crous’ participation in the exhibition takes on added significance in light of the installation the artist has created in the Basilica of San Petronio, Bologna. The work, entitled The Shadow: the City of Men, is a monumental fused glass composition placed in front of Giovanni da Modena’s frescoes in the Chapel of the Magi.
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| Masterpieces between past and present at Maurizio Nobile Fine Art in Bologna |
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