In Bassano, an exhibition shows you the. back of the works of art, from Hayez to Canova and beyond

At the Galleria del Museo Civico in Bassano del Grappa (province of Vicenza), from June 2 to September 3, 2018, the exhibition Abscondita. Unveiled Secrets of Works of Art, the aim of which is to let the public see the... backside of works of art. However, the canvases, which will literally be placed face to the wall to turn their backs to the viewer, will tell many fascinating stories. The backs of the works in fact document episodes and vicissitudes that the public, who may be familiar with the front of a painting, is often unaware of: the canvases, frames and frames are in fact not only the support of the painting, but also of information to learn about the history of the work, the artist, and those who owned it. From the backs of the works we also learn about travels, exhibitions, patrons and dedications, all pieces of an untold art history.

The exhibition, conceived by Chiara Casarin, director of the Bassano Civic Museums, is inspired by a painting by Cornelius Norbertus Gysbrechts (Antwerp, c. 1630-after 1675), kept at the National Gallery of Denmark in Copenhagen, which depicts the very back of a canvas. That painting, the curator explains, was an “attempt to see art as to a medium that thinks about itself and its hidden structures, generating a new language, in this case meta-pictorial, devoid of referential representation. Proposing the first ever - integral - manifestation of a self-reflexive gesture of the painter’s profession, far from the studio self-portrait, something more subversive.” In Bassano therefore, the visitor is invited to read “from behind” works by artists such as Canova, Hayez, Sironi and many others, going beyond what is usually officially proposed and entering a true backstage of the work. “If in front we find inventions,” Chiara Casarin adds, “behind there is a world of inventories.”

The exhibition displays a selection of about one hundred works from the Bassano Civic Museums: visitors will see up close details of the support, nails, tags and labels, traces of restoration, and inventory codes. These are traces that reveal the path taken by the work over time. And it is also a way to make not only insiders feel experts and privileged, but all enthusiasts. “To open the archives by investigating the heritage of our city in a new way, capable of offering new exhibition paths among the works of a collection that has been on display for two centuries,” says Giovanni Cunico, alderman for culture of the City of Bassano del Grappa. “With Abscondita we are addressing the public’s curiosity, accompanying them on a new quest that will surprise experts and fascinate those who discover for the first time the richness of our Civic Museum.”

The exhibition can be visited during the opening hours of the Bassano Civic Museums. Daily, except Tuesdays (closing day) from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. (ticket office closes one hour earlier). Tickets: full 7 euros, reduced 5 euros. Combined exhibition + Museo Civico tickets: full 12 euros, reduced 10. More information can be found on the Bassano Museums website.

Pictured: Andrea Schiavone, Incredulity of Jesus and St. Thomas (16th cent.; Bassano del Grappa, Musei Civici). Recto and verso

In Bassano, an exhibition shows you the. back of the works of art, from Hayez to Canova and beyond

Warning: the translation into English of the original Italian article was created using automatic tools. We undertake to review all articles, but we do not guarantee the total absence of inaccuracies in the translation due to the program. You can find the original by clicking on the ITA button. If you find any mistake,please contact us.