Recent Acquisitions
View of the Campo Vaccino. The Temple of Antoninus and Faustina looking towards Santa Francesca Romana
74 x 49 cm
Oil on canvas
.JPG)
Collezione M - Introduction
The Art Collection Mainetti, begun in the 1930s in Rome, grew over the time with enthusiasm and dedication, pursuing the interest and passion for art and culture through the constant search of unique works of art that could be bought, preserved and enhanced.
The spirit that breathes through this collection is that of an awareness of the importance of the ancient work of art as a work of Beauty, as well as that of the acknowledgement and respect even of the single fragment, which is treated as a testimony and memory of our historical and cultural heritage. The acquisition of the exemplars went through the singling out, the selection and the choice of works presented on the antiquities market and on both national and international auctions, after having carried out careful studies and having ascertained a regularly documented and far-back traceable provenance.
The Collection is composed of an assortment of archaeological materials that gathers a rich variety of finds, including statues, ancient furniture pieces, amongst which fountains and basins, as well as funerary elements; yet its core is represented by the artefacts of architectural decoration, and especially by the large number of marble capitals and column shafts, that offer a comprehensive view of the different stylistic characteristics of Roman art and stand as testimony of the widespread use of white and coloured marbles throughout antiquity.
The Old Masters Collection gathers extremely significant works of the Bolognese and Emilian school of the 17th century, being specifically focused on the figures of Guido Reni and Guercino and comprising also other artists, followers of the two Masters, as on one side Elisabetta Sirani and on the other Benedetto Gennari, loyal and beloved disciple of Barbieri; one must remember also the presence of paintings from Carlo Maratti and Luca Giordano. Within the 18th century painting section fall the works of the Roman Landscape and "Vedutism", with illustrious figures such as Paolo Anesi, Hendrik Van Lint and Locatelli.
The study, the enhancement and the promotion of both the archaeological and the pictorial works of art have been entrusted to Fondazione Sorgente Group, so that to provide both scientific investigation and popularization of the Collection Mainetti through publications and the implementation of this dedicated web site.