Napoleonic Art Looting: Contested Masterpieces Between Italy and France
A Rome exhibition examines the systematic removal of Italian artworks by Napoleon's commission in 1796, which enriched the Louvre's collection. The French favored antiquities like the Apollo Belvedere and Laocoön, along with Renaissance masters such as Raphael (portrait of Pope Leo X) and Baroque classicists like Guido Reni. Venetian painters Titian, Tintoretto, and Veronese were also targeted. Later, the French sought early Renaissance works, acquiring pieces by Perugino. The diplomatic efforts of Antonio Canova led to the return of many works, spurring the creation of Italian museums like the Pinacoteca di Brera. The exhibition highlights the origins of national art collections and the ongoing relevance of cultural identity within the European Union.
Key facts
- Napoleon's commission removed Italian artworks in 1796 for the Muséum National (later Louvre), founded in 1793.
- Preferred works included the Apollo Belvedere, Laocoön, Raphael's Portrait of Pope Leo X, and Guido Reni's La Fortuna con una corona.
- Venetian painters Titian, Tintoretto, and Veronese were also requisitioned.
- The French later acquired early Renaissance works by Perugino to fill gaps in the collection.
- The museum was renamed Musée Napoleon in 1803.
- Antonio Canova's diplomacy secured the return of most looted masterpieces to Italy.
- The returns spurred the founding of Italian museums like the Pinacoteca di Brera, and earlier ones in Bologna and Venice.
- The exhibition reflects on the crisis of European Union values and cultural identity.
Entities
Artists
- Raphael
- Guido Reni
- Titian
- Tintoretto
- Veronese
- Perugino
- Antonio Canova
- Carracci
Institutions
- Louvre
- Muséum National
- Musée Napoleon
- Pinacoteca di Brera
- Galleria Nazionale dell'Umbria
- Scuderie del Quirinale
- Artribune
Locations
- Rome
- Italy
- France
- Paris
- Perugia
- Bologna
- Venice