Van Dyck masterpiece loan launches Accademia Carrara's European painting series

The Accademia Carrara in Bergamo, Italy, has launched a new exhibition series dedicated to European painting, beginning with a loan of Antoon van Dyck's 'Compianto sul Cristo morto' (ca. 1628–1632) from the Robilant+Voena gallery. The painting, valued at around €1.5 million, was a highlight at the 2013 Biennale Internazionale dell'Antiquariato di Firenze. It originally belonged to the Airoldi di Cruillas family in Palermo and resurfaced in Rome after World War II. Director Maria Cristina Rodeschini stated that the series aims to foster dialogue between Italian and international masters, with future loans from international museum institutions under study. The museum, known for its Renaissance masterpieces by Pisanello, Mantegna, Bellini, Botticelli, Raphael, Lotto, and Moroni, also holds significant collections of 17th–19th century paintings, drawings, prints, and decorative arts. This initiative marks a new phase for the institution, which is unique in Italy for being composed entirely of bequests from private collectors.