Italico Brass: Rediscovering a Venetian Painter at Istituto Veneto

A major exhibition at the Istituto Veneto di Scienze, Lettere ed Arti in Venice revives the legacy of Italico Brass (Gorizia, 1870 – Venice, 1943), a once-celebrated painter who fell into obscurity for over 70 years. Over 100 works, more than half never exhibited before, are on display at Palazzo Loredan, drawn from heirs and collectors. Brass participated in the first Venice Biennale and nearly all subsequent editions (except 1907 and 1909), with a solo show in 1910. He also served on scientific committees for major exhibitions on Tintoretto and Titian. The show highlights his role as a war painter for the Italian Supreme Command and Royal Navy during World War I, and his Impressionist-influenced style, which he brought to Venice after a seven-year stay in Paris. Curator Giandomenico Romanelli describes Brass as an "anti-19th-century painter" who dismantled traditional structures with pure color. Beyond painting, Brass purchased the Abbey of Misericordia in 1918, restoring it at his own expense to house his studio, collection, and art dealership, a hub for artists and intellectuals like critic Nino Barbantini. The exhibition is the result of research by lineadacqua edizioni and the Istituto Veneto. Brass is also the grandfather of filmmaker Tinto Brass, who inherited part of his artistic corpus.