Belle Époque arrives in Brescia: exhibition on modern Italian art in Paris at Palazzo Martinengo

From Jan. 25 to June 15, 2025, Palazzo Martinengo in Brescia, on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the Associazione Amici di Palazzo Martinengo, will host an exhibition that will have as its theme the Belle Époque, a historical period marked by prosperity and artistic fervor between the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The exhibition is titled La Belle Époque. Art in the Paris of Boldini and De Nittis.

The event is organized by the Friends of Palazzo Martinengo Association, under the patronage of the Province of Brescia, the Municipality of Brescia and the Fondazione Provincia di Brescia Eventi. Curated by art historians Francesca Dini and Davide Dotti, the exhibition will offer a journey through the Paris Belle Époque, presenting more than 80 works, many from private collections rarely accessible to the public and from prestigious museum institutions, such as the Uffizi Galleries in Florence, the Giovanni Boldini Museum in Ferrara and the Museo Civico di Palazzo Te in Mantua.

The works on display are the result of the talent of Italian artists who lived in Paris during those years, including Giovanni Boldini, Giuseppe De Nittis, Federico Zandomeneghi, Antonio Mancini, and Vittorio Corcos. These painters knew how to conquer the French capital and its refined bourgeoisie, depicting in their canvases the crowded squares, long boulevards, elegant interiors, cafes and Parisian theaters. Their works became true icons of modernity and progress, recounting through a unique style the beauty and elegance of everyday Parisian life. Women, the central figure of this painting, are portrayed in intimate moments and in moments of leisure, representing the charm and grace of the era.

The exhibition is organized in an exhibition itinerary divided into nine sections, evoking the themes and atmosphere of the Belle Époque. Prominent among the masterpieces on display are Boldini’s famous Portrait of a Lady in White, one of the icons of painting of the era; De Nittis’s Beside the Pond in the Luxembourg Gardens, which captures a quiet moment in the hustle and bustle of the city; and Zandomeneghi’s Al Café Nouvelle Athènes, which immerses the viewer in the lively atmosphere of Parisian cafés, centers of sociability and intellectual confrontation. The selection also includes a collection of elegant women’s dresses, made by the most renowned Parisian tailors, which embellish the exhibition by adding an authentic touch to the historical re-enactment.

There is also no shortage of examples of so-called “advertising art”: the posters, or affiches, that advertised fashionable establishments, cabarets, café chantants and theaters. The works of famous illustrators such as Leonetto Cappiello, Marcello Dudovich and Adolfo Hohenstein, with their bright hues and modern typefaces, will be part of the exhibition, highlighting the importance of design and graphics in the visual art of the Belle Époque. Completing the exhibition will be artistic glassware by Emile Gallé and the Daum brothers, made using refined techniques such as engraving, gilding, and enameling, which adorned the homes of the Parisian bourgeoisie and testify to the excellence of design of the period.

The Belle Époque represents a historical period in which French art exerted a profound influence on artists throughout Europe, including the Italians who found Paris a culturally stimulating and modernizing environment. The Universal Exhibitions, which took place in Paris and welcomed exhibitors from all over the world, promoted the image of France as an advanced and progressive nation, stimulating artists to experiment with new techniques and languages. Prominent among them were the so-called "Italians of Paris,“ a term coined by critic Diego Martelli to describe painters such as De Nittis and Boldini, who knew how to depict everyday Parisian life with an unmistakable style, creating what is known as the ”tranche de vie" genre, a snapshot of Parisian life captured in its most spontaneous and authentic moments.

The exhibition also offers an opportunity to delve into the artistic evolution of Federico Zandomeneghi, a Venetian painter who embraced the Impressionist style with originality, characterizing his paintings with a bright and colorful palette, exalting the female figure in intimate and natural poses. Antonio Mancini, with his sensitivity and technical virtuosity, poignantly portrays the youth of southern Italy, while Vittorio Corcos succeeds in immortalizing the joy and carefreeness of the Belle Époque, making Paris a dreamy place, desired and celebrated throughout the world.

Through the works of these Italian artists, Palazzo Martinengo aims to offer a journey into the Paris of the Belle Époque, an era that never ceases to fascinate contemporary audiences.

Belle Époque arrives in Brescia: exhibition on modern Italian art in Paris at Palazzo Martinengo

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