Lionello Puppi, Venetian art historian, dies at 87

Lionello Puppi, a prominent Italian art historian known for his interdisciplinary approach to Venetian art and architecture, has died. Born in Belluno in 1931, Puppi taught architectural history at the University of Padua and modern art and iconology at Ca' Foscari in Venice. He authored a seminal monograph on Palladio with Donata Battilotti, published by Electa, and curated the complete edition of Titian's correspondence in 2012 for Alinari Sole 24 Ore. His later major exhibitions included a Giorgione show at Castelfranco Veneto with Antonio Paolucci and Enrico Maria Dal Pozzolo, and an El Greco exhibition in Treviso that sparked controversy over the inclusion of Bacon drawings and a hasty Michelangelo attribution. Puppi also wrote 'Il terzo nome del gatto' (Marsilio), exploring unverifiable interpretations in art history. He was a vocal critic of blockbuster exhibitions lacking scientific rigor, targeting Marco Goldin's event-style shows. Daniele Capra, a curator and journalist, penned this remembrance.