THE FOURTH ESTATE AND THE VOLPEDO AREA

IN LIGHT OF THE WELL-ESTABLISHED AND GROWING INTEREST IN HISTORICAL PHOTOGRAPHY, THE EXHIBITION FEATURES A NUMBER OF ORIGINAL PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTS FROM THE FOUNDATION FOR GIUSEPPE PELLIZZA DA VOLPEDO, THE PAINTER OF THE FOURTH ESTATE, CONSIDERED TO BE A 20TH CENTURY ICON, WHICH WAS PAINTED BETWEEN 1898 AND 1901. THE EXHIBITION EMBARKS ON A JOURNEY THROUGH THE ORIGINAL PHOTOGRAPHS USED BY THE GREAT ARTIST FOR HIS WORKS, DISPLAYING BOTH ORIGINAL PHOTOGRAPHS THAT HE TOOK HIMSELF OR COMMISSIONED FROM PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHERS AND THE HISTORICAL AND ARTISTIC SUBJECTS HE ACQUIRED DURING HIS STUDY TRIPS.

THE GIUSEPPE PELLIZZA PHOTOGRAPHIC FOUNDATION, DUE TO ITS SCOPE AND NATURE AND ITS HISTORICAL, ARTISTIC AND BIOGRAPHICAL VALUE, IS FUNDAMENTAL TO UNDERSTAND AND STUDY THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ART AND PHOTOGRAPHY, EXEMPLIFYING THE PRACTICE IN VOGUE BETWEEN THE 19TH AND 20TH CENTURIES FOR THE PRODUCTION, PURCHASE AND CIRCULATION OF PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTS IN ARTISTIC ENVIRONMENTS (AMONG PAINTERS, ARCHITECTS, SCHOLARS AND INTELLECTUALS) AND THE ARTISTS’ CUSTOM OF DISPLAYING PHOTOGRAPHIC REPRODUCTIONS OF THEIR WORKS, EITHER TAKEN THEMSELVES OR BY PROFESSIONALS, IN ORDER TO PROMOTE, PUBLISH AND DISSEMINATE THEIR WORK.
THE EXHIBITION ALSO FEATURES A SELECTION OF PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN BY PAOLO MONTI IN 1980 FOR A PHOTOGRAPHIC CAMPAIGN FOR FIUMANA AND THE FOURTH ESTATE, WHICH WERE ON DISPLAY AT THE TIME IN THE GIUSEPPE PELLIZZA ANTHOLOGICAL EXHIBITION IN PALAZZO CUTTICA IN ALESSANDRIA.

THE PHOTOGRAPHIC ARCHIVE OF THE SFORZA CASTLE IN MILAN, SET UP AT THE BEGINNING OF THE 20TH CENTURY AT THE BEHEST OF LUCA BELTRAMI, HOLDS 850,000 ORIGINAL PHOTOGRAPHS DATING FROM 1839 TO TODAY. IT IS A CULTURAL INSTITUTE WHICH, AS WELL AS ACTIVITIES TO PRESERVE AND PROMOTE HERITAGE, ALSO CARRIES OUT INITIATIVES TO PROMOTE PHOTOGRAPHIC, HISTORICAL AND CONTEMPORARY CULTURE, IN COLLABORATION WITH INSTITUTIONS, ASSOCIATIONS, UNIVERSITIES AND MUSEUMS.

THE EXHIBITION IS CURATED BY DANIELA GIORDI, ABF – ATELIER PER I BENI FOTOGRAFICI. THE TRIBUTE TO PAOLO MONTI IS CURATED BY AURORA SCOTTI, PRESIDENT OF THE NON-PROFIT “PELLIZZA DA VOLPEDO” ASSOCIATION.

THE EXHIBITION ALSO OFFERS THE POSSIBILITY TO TRACE THE MAIN STEPS IN THE HISTORY OF EBERHARD & CO. FROM 1887 TO TODAY.

WHERE: “A. BERTARELLI” CONFERENCE ROOM OF THE PHOTOGRAPHIC ARCHIVE AND PRINT COLLECTION, SFORZA CASTLE, MILAN.

WHEN: FRIDAY 30 OCTOBER TO 6 DECEMBER 2015 – MONDAY 9 AM TO 3 PM; TUESDAY TO FRIDAY 9 AM TO 5.30 PM; SATURDAY AND SUNDAY 12 PM TO 5.30 PM.

FREE ENTRY