Conegliano Exhibition Explores the History of Mountain Painting

A new exhibition in Conegliano, Veneto, examines the history of mountain painting, focusing on the Dolomites and the Northeast Alps. The show opens with Giuseppe Mazzotti's 1931 book 'La montagna presa in giro', which humorously critiques mass tourism. It highlights figures like Irene Pigatti, an early female climber who conquered peaks including Antelao between 1886 and 1893, and the 'Squadra Volante' led by Napoleone Cozzi, whose illustrated notebooks document daring ascents. The exhibition traces mountain painting from English Romantics to the precise, almost photographic depictions of Edward T. Compton, and credits Guglielmo Ciardi as the 'inventor' of mountain painting. Divisionist painters merged spiritual and visual aspects, while artists like Ugo Flumiani depicted caves of the Karst. Works by Croatian modernist Gabrijel Jurkic add an international dimension. Posters from the Salce Collection in Treviso document early 20th-century tourism marketing for Cortina and the Ampezzo region. The exhibition runs at an unspecified venue in Conegliano.