A Dream of Italy: The Marquis Campana's Collection: Exhibition, Louvre, Paris: 7 November 2018-18 February 2019

Let the ghost of the connoisseur Marquis Campana (1808-1880) enlighten you about the true essence of Italian culture and heritage with his extensive (and I mean extensive) collection. The Marquis was the ultimate hoarder as he was dizzyingly busy from the 1830’s-1850’s collating over 12,000 pieces to form the largest art collection of the 19th century. Let Campana guide you from ancient worlds to modern eras with his rich and diverse collection of artefacts, sculptures and archaeological findings, most notably Roman, golden jewellery. Let him also transport you to a refined gallery of over 500 artworks, which boasts such masterpieces as the ‘Sarcophagus of the Spouses’ and Paolo Uccello’s ‘Battle of San Romano’.

By rounding up a comprehensive part of the collection, the Musee du Louvre gives a peek into Italian heritage during the Risorgimento (the uniting of Italy into one nation), which was a time that Italy’s culture was being defined and cemented. The exhibition also explores the active role that Giampietro Campana’s played in not merely collecting but also influencing contemporary art, as well his recognition as a romantic figure. You will also become acquainted with the society he called home, as well as his partiality for pastiches and forgeries.

Musée du Louvre

Hall Napoleon, 99 rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris