Pre-Raphaelites-Love and Desire

1848. Political and social revolutions broke out in Europe involving almost all the nations. In England seven students joined together to produce an artistic revolution: to free British painting from the conventions and the dependence on the old masters. The men and women of the so-called “Pre-Raphaelite” circle experimented new convictions, new lifestyles of personal relationships, as radical as their art. Their splendid paintings will be exhibited to the public for the first time in Milan thanks to the extraordinary collaboration project between Palazzo Reale and Tate Britain.

The “Pre-Raphaelites. Love and desire” exhibition, promoted and produced by the Comune di Milano-Cultura, Palazzo Reale and 24 ORE Cultura-Gruppo 24 ORE was organized in collaboration with Tate and curated by Carol Jacobi, Curator of British Art of the London museum. It will also avail itself of the scientific contribution of Maria Teresa Benedetti, concerning the relationship of the Pre-Raphaelites with Italy. It will therefore be possible to admire in Milan, Italy about 80 works, among which some iconic paintings that rarely leave the United Kingdom to be lent, like Ophelia by John Everett Millais, April love by Arthur Hughes, Lady of Shalott by John William Waterhouse.

The exhibition at Palazzo Reale, open to the public from the 19th June to the 6th October 2019, will reveal to viewers the universe of art and values of the 18 Pre-Raphaelite artists represented on display recounting, through the masterpieces of the famous Tate collection, all the poetics of this movement: from love and desire to the faithfulness to nature and to its faithful reproduction; and then medieval stories, poetry, myth, beauty in all its forms. The works will be presented in organized thematic sections, in order to explore the objectives and ideals of that movement, the styles of the various artists, the importance of the graphic element and the spirit of collaboration that, in the context of applied arts, was a fundamental element of pre-Raphaelitism.

A particular emphasis will be given to the impact that this artistic movement had on the way of conceiving art, showing how the fascination of the pre-Raphaelites, which was decisive in the formative process of subsequent generations of artists, is extraordinarily relevant even today. The theme of poetics treated by pre-Raphaelite artists will have a central role, which owes art and in general Italian pre-Renaissance culture that idea of “medieval modernity” which characterizes it so much. Bearing witness to this, the exhibition will display “iconic” paintings on themes going from Dante Alighieri and his poem (Paolo and Francesca and Dante's dream at the time of the death of Francesca by Dante Gabriel Rossetti) to the Italian landscape tout court (View of Florence from Bellosguardo by John Brett).

With the “Pre-Raphaelite. Love and desire” exhibition Pre-Raphaelite art will move out of the exhibition halls to perform on stage and transform itself into a theatrical performance. In the evenings of tuesday 18th, wednesday 19th and thursday 20th June, at 09:30 p.m. in the Piazzetta Reale, some of the most famous paintings of the beautiful collection displayed at the exhibition will come to life thanks to a real tableau vivant: 6 theatre actors of the Neapolitan company “Teatri 35” will make spectators relive the perfectly reconstructed scenes of some of the nineteenth century paintings that they will be able to admire at the exhibition amidst accurately reconstructed draperies and fabrics, music and lights. A real show that lasts half an hour, conceived to bring everyone closer to pre-Raphaelite art, strongly expressive and evocative in a non conventional manner. The stories and characters of the paintings will come out of their frames and of the halls of Palazzo Reale to walk on stage and enchant the public by evoking, once again, their passions and their story.

INFORMATION:

VENUE Palazzo Reale, Piazza del Duomo 12, Milan

OPENING DATE From 19th June to 6th October 2019

OPENING HOURS Monday 2:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Tuesday - Wednesday - Friday - Sunday 9:30 a.m. - 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Saturday 9:30 a.m. - 9:30 p.m. The ticket office closes one hour before (last entry)

TICKETS WITH AUDIOGUIDE Full ticket € 14.00 | Reduced ticket € 12.00 Reduced ticket for subscription to Lombardy Museums € 10.00 Special reduced ticket € 6.00

INFORMATION AND BOOKINGS 02 54914 palazzorealemilano.it|mostrapreraffaelliti.com| ticket24ore.it

PRESS OFFICE: 24 ORE GROUP Elettra Occhini | elettra.occhini@ilsole24ore.com | tel. 02/30.22.3917 | cell. 366/64.62.519

MILAN MUNICIPALITY Elena Conenna | elenamaria.conenna@comune.milano.it