How a masterpiece is reborn: The Garden of Villa Richiedei by Angelo Inganni

An important nineteenth-century work that is reborn thanks to a challenging and complex restoration, a small community that rediscovers one of the most important elements of its heritage. We are talking about the painting The Garden of Villa Richiedei by painter Angelo Inganni (Brescia, 1807 - Gussago, 1880), executed around 1850, which last year benefited from a restoration financed with 29.000.00 by the Historic Pharmacies of Gussago Tosini and Antonelli Snc and the BCC of Brescia and carried out through the Art Bonus incentive.Between 2023 and 2024, the work was displayed in the church of San Lorenzo in Gussago as part of an exhibition dedicated to the painter (held from Sept. 25, 2023 to Jan. 7, 2024) entitled Angelo Inganni between Brescia and Gussago (1850-1880)... “in the spirit of Gussago” and currently granted by the Brescia Foundation on loan to the Municipality of Gussago , which is displaying it in its highest representative venue, the town hall, and to be exact in the council chamber, where two other paintings by the Brescian painter are already located.

Why an exhibition on Inganni? Undoubtedly to pay homage to his contribution to the art of nineteenth-century Lombardy: indeed, the exhibition highlighted a piece of great importance for both artistic and historical value. But what are the origins of The Garden of Villa Richiedei? Inganni painted the work around 1850 and exhibited it in 1859 at the Brera Academy exhibition. Originally bequeathed to the Municipality of Brescia by the nobleman Paolo Richiedei (commissioned by him), a great patron and benefactor, the canvas depicts the sumptuous mansion of Paolo Richiedei, who, moreover, is also depicted in the painting (he is on the left, welcoming a lady who has just arrived in a carriage). The work is relevant to 19th-century Italy because it represents a very interesting example of the fusion of the vedutistic genre, naturalistic landscape and figure painting: it is a monumental composition that transcends the traditional limits of landscape painting. The context of the Italian garden, with its precise perspective structure, is harmoniously interwoven with the natural landscape of the Santissima hill where the villa stands, dominated by vineyards. This balance between nature and architecture underscores the artist’s interest in spatial organization and the relationship between environment and society.

The presence of elegant figures, engaged in conversations or walks, contributes to the narrative and mundane nature of the landscape scene, even evoking the atmosphere of receptions of the time. The figure of Paolo Richiedei, the master of the house, underscores the hospitable and cultural character of the Brescian coterie, where art, society, and nature meet, while the self-portrait of Angelo Inganni, who depicts himself in theact of painting, and the presence of his wife Amanzia Guérillot lend a personal and intimate accent to the composition, which is further enriched by the figure of Luigi Basiletti, a master of Brescian landscape painting, immortalized in the foreground.

The canvas harks back to the tradition of English conversation pieces, while transporting it to an Italian and Brescian context, where the description of the landscape becomes a cultural expression that enhances the beauty of the area as a place of sociality and culture. The work is also distinguished by its monumental dimensions, usually reserved for historical or sacred themes, which here are instead dedicated to the celebration of mid-nineteenth-century Brescian society. This compositional choice not only underscores Inganni’s ambition, but also his desire to elevate the landscape genre to a level equal to that of more prestigious subjects, transforming it into a tribute to the community and the territory. The canvas, over time, had gone through years of neglect and careless interventions that had compromised both its aesthetics and structure.

Challenges and complexities of the intervention

Despite the brightness and legibility of the painting rediscovered thanks to the repair intervention, the restoration process proved complex and required a rather thorough preliminary analysis to address the multiple issues that emerged. “Aware of the peculiarities of the painting, in terms of materials and technique amalgamable to the problems of nineteenth-century paintings, and noting the visible rehashes of old restoration interventions, the extremely cautious approach to the analysis was more than necessary,” explained restorers Monica Abeni and Paola Guerra in the magazine Civiltà Bresciana. "Having already worked on the painting depicting theZouaves’ Encampment on the terraces, of similar dimensions, they were aware of the nature of the supports to the painting employed by Inganni, their hygroscopicity and the numerous interventions - up to the transport of the color to another canvas - that often occurred to plug rapid deterioration; moreover, the fate of the painter’s other paintings was known, which were not easy matters for those who restored them in past times."

The investigations revealed past interventions performed such as oversized plastering and chromatically altered retouching, which had compromised the visual balance of the work. During the restoration phase, structural damage was also found due to unfavorable environmental circumstances: changes in humidity and extreme temperatures for example, conditions that had aggravated the vulnerability of the canvas and frame. The paint film had numerous exfoliations, while the edges of the canvas were marked by extensive tears, creating difficulties in handling it without risking further damage. Complicating the picture was the presence of xylophagous insects that deteriorated the wooden structures and left obvious traces of rosures that weakened the original support.

Advanced technologies for focused restoration

During the different phases of the restoration, a series of multispectral surveys were carried out, conducted primarily by Vincenzo Gheroldi, who employed the use of modern technologies such as infrared light, which is essential to show hidden details and better understand the state of the work. The instruments made it possible to analyze Inganni’s painting technique in depth, highlighting a rich and luminous palette characterized by the use of transparency to create depth effects and realistic details.

Thanks to infrared, it was also possible to identify the preparatory drawing, which revealed regrets and changes made by the artist during the creation of the work, and this provided new insights into the study of Inganni’s creative process. The analyses further revealed the pictorial materials used, many of which were particularly sensitive to climatic variations and subject to chemical and physical deterioration over time. Stabilization of the paint film was then carried out, which allowed the exfoliations that threatened to further compromise the integrity of the work to be strengthened through the use of specific materials.

Cleaning and retouching

Cleaning the painting was one of the most delicate phases of the restoration and required great care and a gradual approach to avoid damage to the original paint film. Layers of oxidized varnish and altered retouches, which had dulled the original colors, were removed with continuous ultraviolet vision inspection to recognize layers present and residues to be removed. The cleaned layers thus restored the work to its original brilliance and luminosity.

What discoveries emerged from the oxidized paint removal phase? The operation revealed covered pictorial details, such as the delicate rendering of draperies and architectural details. The targeted retouches were carried out using reversible and compatible materials in order to respect the integrity of the work and ensure the possibility of further interventions in the future without compromising the work done. The frame, although not coeval to the painting, was also restored to harmonize with the work and preserve its aesthetic balance. The intervention required special attention to the decorative details that were restored to enhance the overall artistic composition.

The painting also provided new information about the technique and materials used by Inganni. The discoveries related to his work enrich to date, the study of 19th-century art and present insights into the cultural and artistic context of the time. The revival of The Garden of Villa Richiedei thus becomes a virtuous example of how the past can be preserved and made accessible to future generations.

How a masterpiece is reborn: The Garden of Villa Richiedei by Angelo Inganni

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