Paolo Galli's 216-piece drawing collection debuts at Ca' Rezzonico

Ca' Rezzonico in Venice has opened 'Una Passione Discreta: La Collezione Paolo Galli' to celebrate the donation of Paolo Galli's collection to the Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia. The collection comprises 216 drawings spanning five centuries, from the 16th to the 20th century, making it one of the most significant acquisitions of Italian graphic art since the Musatti bequest in 1976. The exhibition highlights Venetian 18th-century masters such as Giambattista and Giandomenico Tiepolo, Francesco Guardi, and Piazzetta, with works like Tiepolo's 'Studio per un paggio' and Sebastiano Ricci's 'Testa di vecchio'. It also features drawings from other Italian schools, including Emilian works by Agostino Carracci and Gaetano Gandolfi, Tuscan and Roman artists like Vasari and Giuseppe Cesari (Cavalier d'Arpino), and Lombard pieces such as Pietro Ligari's 'Autoritratto'. The collection extends into the 20th century with artists like Sironi, Severino, Fortuny, and Vedova, showcasing a variety of techniques from pencil to watercolor. Galli described his passion as a 'virus benevolo'. The donation enriches Ca' Rezzonico's Gabinetto dei Disegni e delle Stampe, making these privately held works accessible to the public for the first time.