


Brera grew enormously under Appiani, Napoleon’s “first painter” in Milan and Bossi’s successor, with hundreds of works coming from churches suppressed in the regions of northern Italy invaded by the French armies. Four monumental rooms built to house these works, and known since as the “Napoleonic Halls”, opened in 1809. Paintings that are still the pride of the museum as well as monumental altarpieces joined the collection at that time. This was an “imperial” museum designed to highlight the ruler’s power.

AUTHOR Andrea Appiani
DATE 1795 - 9
OBJECT TYPE AND MATERIAL Oil on panel
DIMENSIONS cm 19 x 15,5
INVENTORY 527
ROOM I
Work on display