AFC Newsletter Summer 2023

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Dear American Friends of Capodimonte,

We have just returned from Paris where we visited the exhibition Naples in Paris: The Louvre Hosts the Museo di Capodimonte. Over 60 masterpieces from Capodimonte are now on view in the Louvre’s magisterial Grande Galerie, Salon Carré, Salle de l’Horloge, and Salle de la Chapelle. Exhibited alongside important Italian paintings from the Louvre’s collections, such as Leonardo da Vinci’s Madonna of the Rocks and Raphael’s Portrait of Baldassare Castiglione, Capodimonte’s recently restored – and, in many cases, reframed – works proclaim the exceptional quality of our Neapolitan museum’s collections to the Louvre’s broad visiting public. 

Twenty-four AFC members traveled to Paris to attend seven exclusive events held over three days:

  • Private view of the exhibition at the Louvre followed by dinner at Racines des Prés 

  • Tour of the exhibition for AFC members with Capodimonte Director General Sylvain Bellenger

  • Reception in honor of the exhibition at the Italian Embassy, the elegant Hôtel de la Rochefaucault-Doudeauville, hosted by the Ambassador of Italy to France Emanuela D’Alessandro.

  • U.S. Ambassador to France and Monaco, Denise Campbell Bauer, welcomed the AFC to the magnificent ambassador’s residence, the Hôtel de Pontalba, and we were given a tour followed by a reception.

  • AFC tour of the Pompidou Centre followed by dinner at the rooftop Restaurant Georges.

Director Sylvain Bellenger and the AFC tour of Naples in Paris exhibition. June 7, 2023. Photo by C. Harvey

 

Our current AFC Fellow, Caroline Paganussi, and our incoming AFC Fellow, Emma de Jong, were also able to join us. Initially we believed that we’d be lucky to attract a dozen people, but to our delight, the trip was immediately oversubscribed. Ultimately, the Paris trip raised over $60,000 for our AFC Fellows!

The exhibition catalogue (only available in French) can be purchased on Amazon.com. 

 

Ambassador Campbell Bauer and the AFC

AFC Fellows Caroline Paganussi and Emma de Jong

  Director Bellenger with the AFC at the Naples in Paris exhibition opening. June 6, 2023

In September, we will kick off the 2023 – 2024 cycle of AFC Talks. These 20–30-minute lectures followed by a Q&A are given by invited scholars whose work focuses on Neapolitan culture and/or works in Capodimonte’s collections. Ideally, these talks will be held in spaces where members of the public can attend and will be live streamed. If you would like to nominate a speaker and/or relevant topic for consideration, contact AFC Program Director James Anno at:  james.philip.anno@gmail.com.

Capodimonte’s seven Battle of Pavia tapestries (1525-1531) will tour the United States in 2024 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the 1525 battle that changed the course of European history. Are you an AFC member? If so, you will receive advance notice about exclusive trips and events we are planning surrounding this exhibition.   

Thank you again for your interest and your support. 

A presto!

The AFC Board
Cristina Del Sesto, President; Nancy Vespoli, Vice Chair; Vincent Buonanno, Founder and President Emeritus; James Anno, Program Manager; Gretchen Hirschauer, Secretary; Tory Gath, Member; Henrietta Hakes, Member; Bart Livolsi, Member; Benjamin Patton, Member; Francis Prins, Member; Museo di Capodimonte Director Sylvain Bellenger