MiBACT Acquires 151 Works for Italian State Museums

Between 2016 and 2017, the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities (MiBACT) acquired 151 artworks, including a 100-piece ethnographic collection, for a total of €3,891,900. The acquisitions were made by the Directorate General for Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape, with the favorable opinion of the Technical-Scientific Committee for Fine Arts, using funds earmarked for compulsory purchases to prevent export. Minister Dario Franceschini stated that the state strengthens its acquisition of artworks and returns them to citizens, enriching museum collections. The 2018 Budget Law increased acquisition funds by an additional €4 million. The works were distributed to state museums and cultural institutes, including paintings by Gustave Courbet, Carlo Carrà, Bernardo Strozzi, Pompeo Batoni, and Carol Rama. Notable acquisitions include Courbet's "La vague" (1871) at the Galleria Nazionale di Roma, Carrà's "Allegoria del lavoro" (1905) at the Pinacoteca di Brera, Strozzi's "Allegoria della pittura" (c. 1635) at Palazzo Spinola, Batoni's "Ritratto di Abbondio Rezzonico" (1766) at Palazzo Barberini, and Rama's "Pittura 718 Astratto" (1954) at the Galleria Sabauda.