The Borghese Gallery dedicates a monographic exhibition to Luigi Valadier, cabinetmaker and goldsmith of 18th-century Rome

Opens on October 30, 2019 at the Galleria Borghese in Rome and will remain open until February 2, 2020, the exhibition Valadier. Splendor in Eighteenth-Century Rome.

Curated by Anna Coliva, the major fall monographic exhibition at the famous museum venue will be dedicated to Luigi Valadier, one of Rome ’s most significant cabinetmakers and goldsmiths of the mid-18th century. His workshop in Via del Babuino was at his time one of the most visited places by royalty, diplomats, collectors and antique dealers, and his production became an international model for the artist’s great versatility and technical skill.

The exhibition aims to present Valadier’s works to the public within the decorative context of the Villa Borghese, where painters and sculptors shared many Roman artistic endeavors. There is evidence of the latter’s relationships with Luigi Valadier: one of these was the marble carver Lorenzo Cardelli, who collaborated with the artist on the fireplace in Room XVI and on artifacts for Anglo-Saxon patrons.

Although the Borghese family was closely associated with Valadier’s work, the significant number of the artist’s patrons reveal the success of his career as a goldsmith and silversmith.

Also on display will be the large silver lamps for the shrine of Santiago de Compostela, the St. John the Baptist of the Lateran Baptistery, both of which can be seen for the first time outside their original location; and also, the sculptures of the cathedral of Monreale, bronze reproductions of ancient statues for King Gustav III of Sweden, Madame du Barry and the Count d’Orsay, the support of the cameo of Augustus commissioned by Pope Pius VI and the reconstruction of the temple of Isis in Pompeii for Maria Carolina of Austria.

A section will be devoted to drawings, a fundamental tool pe understanding Valadier’s creative process and the activity of his great workshop; some are evidence of works that are now lost, such as the gilded silver service made for the Borghese family.

In addition, for greater understanding, there will be multimedia totems dedicated to Luigi Valadier’s Places in Rome: an invitation to deepen one’s knowledge of the artist by visiting them.

For info: http://galleriaborghese.beniculturali.it

In the image, Luigi Valadier, Erma di Bacco

The Borghese Gallery dedicates a monographic exhibition to Luigi Valadier, cabinetmaker and goldsmith of 18th-century Rome

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