Nineteenth-century Bolognese Savini dynasty on display at Museo Ottocento Bologna

The Museo Ottocento Bologna presents, from Oct. 18, 2024 to March 3, 2025, the exhibition Dinastia Savini Giacomo (1768-1842) Alfonso (1838-1908) Alfredo (1868-1924) dedicated to the Savini family, undisputed protagonists of nineteenth-century art in Bologna. The exhibition is curated by Francesca Sinigaglia and Ilaria Chia. Thanks to their complex genealogy and outstanding artistic qualities, the Savinis represent an authentic expression of the multiple stylistic currents that characterized the 19th century. The exhibition explores the principal members of the dynasty, all artists of great historical significance.

The exhibition opens with Giacomo Savini (Bologna, 1768-1842), one of the greatest interpreters of Neoclassicism, trained under Vincenzo Martinelli. Rare unpublished paintings by this artist are exhibited, evidence of his innovative work in the Neoclassical landscape. The middle of the century then saw the rise of Alfonso Savini (Bologna, 1838-1908), famous for genre painting, first of neo-Pompeian and later neo-Eighteenth-century imprint, thanks to his connection with the merchant Adolphe Goupil, who helped spread his works internationally. Alfonso also participated in the first Venice Biennale in 1895, and his works are held in the most renowned collections. Finally, Alfredo Savini (Bologna, 1868 - Verona, 1924) concluded the century by developing an Art Nouveau and hyper-realist style. He moved to Verona, exhibited at the 1905 Venice Biennale and won the Baruzzi Prize in 1896 with the work Auxilium ex alto.

The Savini dynasty was distinguished by the remarkable iconographic variety of its members, who shared excellent pictorial mastery and a shared education at the Academy of Fine Arts in Bologna, as well as participation in national and international exhibitions. The exhibition makes use of loans from public and private collections and dialogues with the permanent collection of the Museo Ottocento Bologna, presenting a thorough and stimulating survey. A bilingual monographic catalog with biographies of the artists and the entire body of works is also available: the research on Giacomo Savini was curated by Ilaria Chia, while Francesca Sinigaglia followed the studies on Alfonso and Alfredo. The exhibition dedicated to the Savini family is a relevant initiative within the activities of the Museo Ottocento Bologna, which is committed to the rediscovery of local artistic figures, often unjustly forgotten or known only for symbolic works. After the exhibitions on Carlotta Gargalli and Mario de Maria, the Savinis are finally being celebrated, emphasizing their ability to represent, across generations, the artistic development in Bologna and nationally in the nineteenth century. The exhibition, consisting of more than ninety pieces, offers a broad overview of the artistic production of the three painters. It was possible, for the first time, to clarify the kinship ties, identifying Giacomo as the founder of a pictorial dynasty that was able to interpret with great sensitivity the themes of the neoclassical landscape. In addition, a photo album has been traced that testifies to Alfonso’s vast production, which documented his works before entrusting them to major international auction houses. The hitherto unknown paintings make it possible to reconstruct Alfonso’s entire oeuvre, which ranges from history painting to 18th-century costume scenes and neo-Pompeian production.

Alfredo’s artistic career has also been the subject of study, from his training in Bologna to his move to Verona in 1900, where he became a professor at the Collegio Venturoli and then at the Accademia Cignaroli. The Museo Ottocento Bologna sponsored the restoration of works from the deposits of MAMbo, the Pinacoteca Nazionale in Bologna, and the Museo Revoltella in Trieste. Special thanks are extended to the heirs of the Savini family for their generosity in loans, and to Dr. Patrizia Nuzzo, curator of the Achille Forti Gallery of Modern Art in Verona, who contributed expertly to the cataloguing of Alfredo’s works. As a corollary to the exhibition The Savini Century, a series of in-depth lectures has been organized in collaboration with the Davia Bargellini Museum, which will host from October 18, 2024 to March 25, 2025 the exhibition The Unpublished Album of Giacomo Savini. Landscape Painting, curated by Mark Gregory D’Apuzzo and Ilaria Chia, with Ilaria Negretti.

Opening hours: Daily, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Admission: 12€ full / 10€ reduced

Nineteenth-century Bolognese Savini dynasty on display at Museo Ottocento Bologna

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