An exhibition on Leonardo Bistolfi and his connection with pointillism in Casale Monferrato

A journey through the beauty and passion of late 19th- and early 20th-century art is what the exhibition La Bellezza liberata promises. Leonardo Bistolfi and his Divisionist Friends, which opened on March 1, 2025 at the Bistolfi Civic Museum and Plaster Collection in Casale Monferrato. Through May 11, 2025, visitors will have the opportunity to explore the complex and fascinating relationships between Leonardo Bistolfi (Casale Monferrato, 1859 - La Loggia, 1933), a sculptor, and his Divisionist colleagues, including Angelo Morbelli, Giuseppe Pellizza da Volpedo, Giovanni Segantini and Vittore Grubicy.

An exhibition that sheds light on the evolution of these works of art and also reveals bonds of true friendship and collaboration between these great protagonists of the art scene of the time. The project, curated by the Scientific Committee composed of Sandra Berresford, Niccolò D’Agati and Aurora Scotti, has been enriched by numerous loans from museums, banking foundations and private collectors, giving the exhibition international relevance.

"Beauty Liberated. Leonardo Bistolfi and his Divisionist friends represents an important opportunity to delve into Bistolfi’s role in the artistic landscape between the 19th and 20th centuries," stressed Casale Monferrato Mayor Emanuele Capra. “The exhibition highlights the link between sculpture and Divisionist painting, offering a novel reading of the professional and personal relationships between the most relevant artists of that context-Vittore Grubicy, Angelo Morbelli, Giuseppe Pellizza da Volpedo and Giovanni Segantini. Thanks to an exhibition itinerary curated in detail, the Civic Museum of Casale Monferrato confirms itself as a center of research and enhancement of cultural heritage capable of creating a valuable and fruitful synergy between public and private.”

“With great satisfaction we can say that this important exhibition was able to be realized not only thanks to the convergence of local institutions on the project,” said President of the Rotary Club of Casale Monferrato Fabio Americo Antonio Broglia, “but also to the support of companies that with their indispensable contribution made all the organizational costs faced by Rotary sustainable. The initiative is therefore the concrete and tangible fruit of their social responsibility towards the territory and an opportunity to create and transmit values, culture, quality and reputation.”

The artistic and human connection between Bistolfi and the Divisionists

The exhibition, which winds its way through painting, sculpture, and graphics, is distinguished by a novel slant that explores Bistolfi’s artistic and human affinities with the Divisionists. A selection of never-before-seen works, including drawings, bas-reliefs and plaster sculptures restored thanks to the support of the Municipal Administration and Soroptimist of Casale Monferrato, will enrich the visitor’s experience. But it is not only Bistolfi’s works that are in the foreground: alongside them, the exhibition also presents works by Morbelli, Pellizza da Volpedo, Segantini and Grubicy, offering a comprehensive overview of the artistic trends that marked the late 19th century.

The event, organized by the City of Casale Monferrato and the Rotary Club of Casale Monferrato and the result of a collaboration between the De Ferrari Foundation and the City of Rosignano Monferrato, was created with the aim of enhancing the artistic heritage of the Gipsoteca Bistolfi and stimulating a reflection on the network of intellectual and social relationships that defined the artistic landscape of that era. A significant contribution to this end has come from the recent acquisition of the Martelli-Bistolfi 2021/2023 donation, an important collection of unpublished materials that has opened up new research perspectives on the sociality and ideals shared among artists.

Bistolfi’s Commitment to Commemorating Friends.

The exhibition focuses on the period when Bistolfi and the Divisionists met, both personally and intellectually. Prominent among the significant moments documented in the exhibition is the collaboration between Bistolfi and Segantini, which led to the creation of two monuments in memory of the painter: one dedicated to Segantini’s grave in Maloja, later transferred to Saint Moritz, and the other in Segantini’s hometown of Arco. The works, which have found ample space in the sketches and models kept at the Museo Civico in Casale Monferrato, recount Bistolfi’s commitment to commemorating the memory of his friends.

In addition to Segantini, Bistolfi was also a key player in organizing the commemorative exhibition of Giuseppe Pellizza da Volpedo, presented at the Venice International Exhibition in 1909, together with Angelo Morbelli and Antonio Fradeletto. Another tangible evidence of this commitment and his friendship with the Divisionists is the correspondence with Vittore Grubicy, kept in the Leonardo Bistolfi Historical Archives and the MART Archives of Trento and Rovereto, which also documents Bistolfi’s concrete help in selling the Milanese painter’s paintings.

The layout of the exhibition has been realized with the introduction of new display structures and a state-of-the-art lighting system, capable of enhancing the works of art and, at the same time, ensuring significant energy savings. The exhibition will be accompanied by a 182-page color book published by the De Ferrari ETS Foundation. The book will contain files on the works, compiled by the exhibition’s scientific committee, accompanied by a wealth of illustrations. The volume will be available at the Museum’s ticket office, and thanks to the Rotary Club of Casale Monferrato, a portion of the proceeds from sales will go to the Santo Spirito Hospital for the purchase of medical equipment.

Practical information

Opening hours.

Thursday: 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Friday, Saturday, Sunday and midweek holidays: 10.30 a.m.-1 p.m. and 3 p.m.-6.30 p.m.

last admission: 30 minutes before closing

Entrance fees

Full price: euro 8.00

Reduced: euro 5.00

An exhibition on Leonardo Bistolfi and his connection with pointillism in Casale Monferrato

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