Newsletter Summer 2024
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A Word from the AFC President
Dear Friends,
Treasures from the Royal Palace of Capodimonte are on tour in the United States for the very first time. Program Director, James Anno, reports from the Art & War in the Renaissance: The Battle of Pavia Tapestries opening in Ft Worth, TX.
In late April, AFC Postdoctoral Curatorial Fellow Emma de Jong participated in the opening of an exhibition with panels from a comic book about the Battle of Pavia. The comic book was also presented at Napoli Comicon, one of the most important Comic book and pop culture conventions in Europe, attended by more than 170,000 people.
Through a collaboration with Modio Media Productions, we can now present an eleven minute video of Capodimonte's Director Emeritius Sylvain Bellenger giving a tour of the Pavia Tapestries to our own very AFC members. The video was recorded in September 2022, during an AFC trip to Naples.
The AFC free newsletter subscription expires this month. If you enjoy receiving the newsletter, renew your membership and subscription for $100.
For a $300 donation, you can become a member, receive the Pavia tapestries exhibition catalogue, and advance trip notifications.
Thank you for your interest in and support for our mission!
Yours sincerely,
Cristina Del Sesto, AFC Board President
And the AFC Board:
Vice Chair, Nancy Vespoli; Founder and President Emeritus, Vincent Buonanno; Program Director, James Anno; Treasurer, Mary Ellen Countryman; Secretary, Gretchen Hirschauer; Tory Gath; Henrietta Hakes; Bartley Livolsi; and Francis Prins
Watch Capodimonte's Director Emeritus Sylvain Bellenger Give a Tour of the Battle of Pavia Tapestries to the AFC
Click on the image to play the video.
Exhibition opening at the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, TX
By James Anno, AFC Program Director
The Kimbell Art Museum launched the opening of Art & War in the Renaissance: The Battle of Pavia Tapestries with a bang. I was greatly pleased to attend the opening festivities on June 13-15. I am moved by the elegance of the installation and the probity of their interpretation of these incredible artworks. The seven monumental tapestries that depict the seminal Battle of Pavia that occurred in the early hours of February 24th, 1525, envelope each visitor within a large, well appointed gallery in the Piano Pavilion. The turbulent action of the tapestries is complimented by arms and armor strategically placed throughout the gallery to draw your eye towards what we see in the tapestries. The balance, harmony, and visual impact of the Kimbell display is impeccable. My thanks to the Kimbell staff and Capodimonte curator Carmine Romano for their warm welcome.
Photographs courtesy of the Kimbell Art Museum.
James Anno with Carmine Romano, Capodimonte curator of Art & War in the Renaissance.
James Anno, Krista Brugnara, David Gramazio, George Shackelford, Anna Bursaux, Nancy Edwards, Jeffrey Fraiman
U.S. Curators on the Exhibition Art and War in the Renaissance: The Battle of Pavia Tapestries
“The opportunity for close inspection of masterpieces during the installation of an exhibition is a thrilling privilege. Marvels of superlative design and craftsmanship, the enormous tapestries of The Battle of Pavia from Capodimonte are full of exquisite details—from burly soldiers in ostentatious outfits dominating the foreground, to tiny vignettes of camp life and the countryside in the far distance. Throughout, gold and silver threads enliven the brightly colored surface of these luxurious artworks.”
“The Pavia tapestries, together with arms and armor from the Farnese Collection, present an immersive experience for our audiences. The monumental dimensions and scale of these seven tapestries envelope the viewer into the world of art, fashion, and military technology all within the context of a battle that would shape Europe for centuries to come.”
“The opportunity to present these extraordinary landmarks of Renaissance art to our audience here in Northern California is something special. Equally special is the chance to work on such a global project with our museum colleagues in Naples, Fort Worth, and Houston. This global collaboration mirrors the complex team effort involved in producing the tapestries themselves five centuries ago.”
Exhibition Dates
Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, TX: June 16, 2024 - September 15, 2024
Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, CA: October 19, 2024 - January 12, 2025
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, TX: Spring 2025
Comic Book The Battle of Pavia: the Tapestries of Capodimonte
By Emma C. de Jong, ACF Curatorial Fellow, 2023-2025
In collaboration with two artists from the Scuola Italiana di Comix (Italian school for Comics), the Capodimonte has published a comic book retelling the story of the Battle of Pavia. Artist Fabiana Fienga based her designs on the Van Orley tapestries, incorporating many details from the woven masterpieces. Chiara Macor wrote the story, recounting the events of the battlefield from the perspective of a young Habsburg soldier. The English edition of the comic book was translated by AFC fellow Emma C. de Jong.
Presentation of the comic book in the tapestry gallery at the Capodimonte Museum.
In late April, the comic was presented at Capodimonte with a small exhibition whereby panels from the book were put on display alongside the tapestries. This allowed visitors to discover the details which were taken directly from the tapestries. It had the intended result: many young visitors could be seen enthusiastically viewing the tapestries up close.
The comic book was also the subject of a panel at the Naples Comicon convention. Naples hosts a Comicon convention every year, attracting over 170,000 visitors. Comicon offered a great way to introduce a completely new audience to one one the great masterpieces of the Capodimonte.
The comic book can be ordered on the publisher's website.
The AFC Serves One of Europe’s Greatest Museums
The American Friends of Capodimonte (AFC) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to build awareness in the English-speaking world of one of Europe’s greatest museums. Thanks to our Capodimonte Fellowships, we are the first and only American organization to place talented, young American art historians directly inside an Italian museum. Our members and donors enjoy private tours, events, and dinners in the Museum and Royal Park. When works from the Capodimonte collection travel to America, we invite all who contribute to join us for events and exhibitions. For more information on the AFC, check out our website: https://www.americanfriendsofcapodimonte.info/
The Museo di Capodimonte remains open during renovations! For the most up to date opening times, check: https://capodimonte.cultura.gov.it/useful-information/. Full price entry is € 15, free entry for under 18. Free entry on the first Sunday of the month.
The museum can easily be reached by taxi and when departing from the city center by bus lines 3M, 168, 178, 204, C63. Address: Via Miano 2, 80131 Napoli NA.