View of Gazzada | Pinacoteca di Brera
Pinacoteca di Brera Informazioni

View of Gazzada

Bernardo Bellotto

The two canvases were acquired for Brera from the antique dealer Alessandro Brison and immediately became one of the cornerstones of the collection. Painted during Bellotto’s journey to Lombardy in 1744, they constitute one of the highest achievements of Europe an landscape painting, while at the same time representing a move in a new direction thanks to the naturalness of the representation and its adherence to reality: unlike the traditional vedute of Canaletto, which immersed Venice in a brilliant and timeless light, Bellotto’s canvases depict a precise moment of the day, investigating both its colors and the peculiar effects of its light and thereby opening the door to the evolution of the genre in the 19th century.
Ever since they entered the Pinacoteca it was thought that they were linked to the villa of the Melzi family, and that the canvases had been commissioned by Antonio Maria Melzi, owner of the villa at Vaprio d’Adda – also painted by the artist – and a prominent figure in Milan under Austrian rule. In reality, recent research has revealed that it was not until 1838 that the Melzi became the owners of the building represented here, which at the time of Bellotto’s visit belonged to the noblemen Gabrio and Giuseppe Perabò from Varese, who held prestigious posts in the administration of the city and above all had friendly relations with Cardinal Giuseppe Pozzobonelli, a knowledgeable collector who became bishop of Milan in 1744.

Download hi-res image TITLE View of Gazzada
AUTHOR Bernardo Bellotto
DATE 1744
OBJECT TYPE AND MATERIAL Oil on canvas
DIMENSIONS cm 64,5 x 98,5
INVENTORY 214
ROOM XXXV
Work on display
Share
Related artworks:
By the same author In the same date/era In the same room

Explore the Pinacoteca di Brera collection

masterpieces artworks catalogue very high definition