The Carlones and Baroque art in Genoa in the 17th century: the first exhibition dedicated to the family of painters

There is time until Sept. 1 to see the exhibition La terra dei Carlone. Baroque Art between Genoa and Oltregiogo, which opened last June 29 at theAbbey of San Remigio in Parodi Ligure (Alessandria). This is the first exhibition entirely dedicated to the Carlones, an important family of sculptors and painters active in and around Genoa in the 17th century. The exhibition presents the public with twenty-five large canvases, including famous and previously unpublished works, from important museums (such as the Musei di Strada Nuova in Genoa, the Museo Diocesano in Genoa, and the Accademia Ligustica) and private collections in Piedmont, Emilia, and Liguria: the works recount the extraordinary rise of the Carlone family in Italian art between the 16th and 17th centuries.

Closely connected with Oltregiogo, the Carlones resided for a long time in Parodi Ligure and painted for several churches in the area: as a result, their works are preserved in Arquata, Bosio, Busalla, Capriata, Casalnoceto, Gavi, Piovera, Pontecurone, San Cristoforo, Sardigliano, Serravalle Scrivia, and Voltaggio. Giovanni Carlone (Genoa, 1584 - Milan, 1631) painted works preserved in the Abbey of which his brother Francesco was parish priest, while his other brother, Giovanni Battista (Genoa, c. 1603 - Parodi Ligure, c. 1684), bought a house here where he raised his twenty-four children, including the last great artist, Andrea (Genoa, 1626 - 1697). Their works are still placed in churches and oratories in the Oltregiogo territory: the aim of the exhibition is also to enhance these works. Famous among them is the frescoed ceiling for theOratorio dei Bianchi in Gavi.

Among the works on display is the extraordinary pair of large canvases depicting The Stories of Joseph anciently in the collection of the Norfolk dukes in London. From a private collection is the sketch for the frescoed ceiling of Genoa’s Palazzo Doria De Ferrari depicting The Finding of Moses, while unpublished, despite its provenance from the Palazzo Bianco Museum in Genoa, is Andrea Carlone’s large canvas depicting The Witch of Endor.

Conceived and curated by Maurizio Romanengo, who is responsible for the planning of the entire program, the exhibition aims to reconnect the extraordinary experience of a family of seventeenth-century Genoese artists with their territory. It is available from a rich scholarly catalog of more than 120 pages (€15 instead of €20 for visitors) that draws on the collaboration of leading scholars such as Massimo Bartoletti of the Superintendency of Liguria, Giacomo Montanari of the University of Genoa, and art historians Enrica Asselle, Gabriele Langosco and Agnese Marengo. Routes will also be activated in the hills of Oltregiogo that will have the works of the Carlones as a common thread.

The exhibition is organized by theOltregiogo Association. Open Friday through Sunday from 3:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. until Sept. 1 (free ticket for residents in the municipalities of the Oltregiogo Association, tickets from €5). There will be guided tours with the curators, which also include a rich aperitif in the abbey churchyard, with the contribution of 15€ on Saturdays and Sundays in July (for reservations: Federica at 340-5854991). All initiatives benefit from the contribution of Compagnia di San Paolo, Fondazione CRT and Fondazione Cral.

Pictured: an image of the exhibition

The Carlones and Baroque art in Genoa in the 17th century: the first exhibition dedicated to the family of painters

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.