The main purpose is to refer to works that are known to have formed part of the collection, at least on the basis of photographs, unpublished in some cases, and in other cases having changed location. The break-up of the collection meant that many collectors could add these interesting Ferrara works to their own collections; just to name a few we have Henry Layard (1817-1894), Charles Eastlake (1836-1906) and Giovanni Morelli (1816-1891), who provided works to the National Gallery of London and the Accademia Carrara of Bergamo. Others who built up their collections with these works include Vittorio Cini (1885-1977) and don Guido Cagnola (1861-1954). Recent studies add other figures to this group who have not been considered to date. We can start with the Austro-Polish count Karol Lanckoronski (1848-1933) who bequeathed a fabulous Mazzolino (L.088) to the Wawel Castle in Krakow through his daughter Karolina (1898-2002). In France, Nélie Jacquemart André (1841-1912) also purchased a Santa Caterina martirizzata from the collection (L.007), attributed to Coltellini. Italian collectors were also involved, namely Marquis Giuseppe Campori (1821-1887), who purchased a work in 1877 that found a suitable home in the Modena museum (L.499) since it was definitely the work of Ercole Setti, who worked there. Even the collection created by Alberto Saibene (1899-1971) in Milan contains a work from the Costabili collection: it is a tondo with Saint Bernardino, which cannot change our opinion on Garofalo, but adds an important piece to the puzzle regarding our knowledge of the San Silvestro monastery which became Saint Anna's hospital. The set of four tondi comes from there and includes this Saint Bernardino, two Sante Cini and one of Saint Lodovico, now lost. Ferrara was full of artists schooled in the late preclassic ideas of Ercole de' Roberti, a style which was defined as "premature classicism" by Roberto Longhi. This group had to make the difficult transition to true classicism in the mould of Giorgione and Raphael, with the defining moment occurring in the ten-year period between 1497 and 1506 after the death of Ercole and coinciding with the arrival to Ferrara of Boccaccino from Cremona. It ended with the creation of the eight paintings commissioned by Lucrezia Borgia as far as I can tell and which formed part of the Costabili collection. Lucrezia's painters are well represented in this collection, and especially in the works dealt with here due to the innovative elements they introduced. An initial interesting event concerns the one represented by a Madonna col Bambino (L.430), owned by Benigno Crespi (1833-1920), and attributed to Mazzolino in the Zeri photograph library. There are strong connections with the early work of this painter, however there are also similarities with Panetti's work: I would therefore propose a general reference to a "Ferrara artist of the preclassic period". A new work is proposed for Garofalo: the Madonna allattante (L.081) in the Tisi catalogue of Federico Zeri which could be placed right at the beginning of his career. Gian Francesco Maineri was another of the "Ercole I painters", but we have to attribute less rather than more works to him as the body of work attributed is too varied: I refer to the Cristo con la corda al collo (L.053) which arrived in Bergamo a century after Morelli's donation. It differs significantly from his standard work as it is more painstaking and rigorous, similar to the Pietà style at the Courtauld Gallery in London (L.084). These two works could have been painted by the same hand, but for now I will just refer to a "Ferrara preclassic period" Considering the lack of works attributed to either Michele Costa or Ercole Bonacossi even though they worked for Lucrezia according to the records, we should focus on Geminiano Benzoni, who also worked in Ferrara at this time. Perhaps the most important work by this artist is the Noli me tangere (L. 056) found in the 1835 list with an attribution to Lorenzo Costa, while Benzoni is certainly the author of a work owned by Carife, the Salvatore benedicente (no. 6/11014) which had been formerly attributed to Coltellini. I will take this opportunity to make a new proposal regarding this unpublished Adorazione dei magi from the Saibene collection. The Romagna region also supplied works to the Costabili collection: I mainly refer to what is probably Baldassarre Carrari's masterpiece, the Deposizione (L.414). The attribution to Palmezzano of this Battesimo di Cristo (L.412) hasn't taken root either. It is still unpublished and in the Berenson photograph library. It was in the lists up to 1908, but considered to have been painted by Mantegna since Laderchi times. A Madonna col Bambino e San Giovannino (L.474) is also unpublished and part of the photograph library of the great Lithuanian critic. It is not identified with any great certainty in the catalogues. The work is reminiscent of Giulio Romano, but could also be by Innocenzo da Imola, according to a note by Myron Laskin written behind the photograph. In conclusion, I would like to mention a Madonna col Bambino purchased by the CariParma Foundation (L.100). Research by Andrea G. De Marchi found this work in the Bombelli photograph files along with another Madonna which had the same design and was more legible, and after identifying a third piece by the same hand proposed the title "Maestro della Madonna del Latte Johnson". We should make note of the Madonna allattante in Philadelphia to call attention to this set of three works, grouping together the names of Jacopo da Valenza, Vincenzo Pagani, Benedetto Montagna e Boccaccino: this involves a joint leader with an uncertain regional identity, but helpful in completing the multifaceted profile of the Costabili collection.
A Bible and heresy
The Ariostea library keeps a treasure which caused discussions, all the more up-to-date when acquired.
Thanks to the information provided by a noted book collector, Renzo Bonfiglioli, in 1959 the Municipality of Ferrara acquired a treasure of history and culture: the Biblia Latina annotated by Girolamo Savonarola, when a novice in Ferrara, between 1479 and 1482.
"Nebbia" by Andrea Veronese
Love defeated by political fervour in Ferrara through the 1950 s.
The novel Nebbia [Fog] by Andrea Veronese held me enthralled from its very first pages, encouraging me to have it published as part of the Corbo literature series. The book makes an impact right from the very first scenes, where the focus gradually narrows down onto the events that unfolded in Ferrara between 22 October and 8 December 1954, when
Dancing
Ferrara dance venues, from debutante balls to Latin-American nights.
In his book A question of stature. The story of a boy who grew too much, Gaetano Tumiati brings us back to a Ferrara of the thirties and forties, when young people met in exclusive places to dance the tango, waltz, mazurka, and the rumba.
Update on the Costabili collection
The research on collecting never stops.
This article will provide an update on the Costabili collection in view of new information that has emerged over the last 10 years on works that have often only been recently identified as forming part of the Costabili collection.
I was born in the F.lli Navarra Agricultural College
Or: how I found my forgotten birthplace, during a professional visit
I was born in Malborghetto di Boara (Municipality of Ferrara) on 26 December 1926, in the F.lli Navarra agricultural college. My father had taken over management of the college a few months previously, having transferred from the Fabriano agricultural college.
Update on the Costabili collection
Written by Andrea UgoliniThe research on collecting never stops.
This article will provide an update on the Costabili collection in view of new information that has emerged over the last 10 years on works that have often only been recently identified as forming part of the Costabili collection.
Read 11727 times
Published in
Num. 32