Two masterpieces of historical romanticism in Milan: the Pietro Rossi by Hayez and the Christopher Columbus by Palagi.
[Unseen Brera / Historical Romanticism: Francesco Hayez and Pelagio Palagi] The “Unseen Brera” is aimed at attracting the attention of the public by occasionally exhibiting works usually kept in the storerooms and therefore not available for viewing by visitors to the museum.
This book documents the first of these initiatives, on the historical romanticism of the 19th century in Milan, presenting two masterpieces: Pietro Rossi, lord of Parma, stripped of his lands by the Scaligeri, lords of Verona, at the castle of Pontremoli, which he was defending, asked to assume command of the Venetian army which was about to move against his enemies, is tearfully supplicated by his wife and two daughters not to accept the undertaking, by Francesco Hayez, and Christopher Columbus, about to set forth from the port of Palos on his first voyage of discovery, embraces his two children and entrusts him to his patron Father Giovanni Perez, by Pelagio Palagi.
The texts by Luisa Arrigoni and Isabella Marelli outline the events that led to the creation of these two masterpieces, discussing the commissions, the exhibition in the rooms of Brera in 1820, the critical reception.