Drawings by sixteenth-century artists and masterpieces of the eighteenth century from the Favaretto Rubelli donation are now on display at Ca’ Rezzonico. A gift to the city, in the name of Venice.
With the exhibition at Ca’ Rezzonico – Museo del Settecento veneziano, the Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia presents and celebrates the recent donation of works on paper by Alessandro Favaretto Rubelli, president of the renowned textile company that bears his family name: a precious collection of 29 drawings by Venetian Old Masters – including Palma il Giovane, Carlevarijs, Ricci, Canaletto and Tiepolo. The collection bears witness to a cultured passion for collecting, and the lawyer and Cavaliere del Lavoro has chosen to offer it to the city of Venice by donating the works to the Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia’s Department of Drawings and Prints
With few exceptions, the common thread that runs through the collection is precisely Favaretto Rubelli’s love for his city, its history and, above all, its artists. Fortunately, the dedication with which he pursued his business career did not prevent Favaretto Rubelli from devoting himself to his passion for the history and art of the Serenissima; even whilst travelling abroad on business, he amassed a significant collection of antique books on Venetian subjects, comprising historical works, guidebooks and illustrated albums, spanning a period from the late fifteenth century to the early twentieth century.
The collection, displayed in the first-floor portego of Ca’ Rezzonico, consists, essentially, of two main groups. The first is a series of sixteenth-century drawings, dominated by The Temptation of Christ by Palma il Giovane, one of the most important artists of the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. A preparatory study for a lost canvas formerly in the Doge’s Palace, the sheet displays a high degree of refinement, allowing us to appreciate fully Palma’s skill as a draughtsman. He is also the creator of another sheet in the Favaretto Rubelli collection, Saint Charles Borromeo at Prayer, dated 1624.
But it is the eighteenth-century Venetian group that is the true highlight of the collection, featuring the leading artists of the last century of the Serenissima’s history. First among them is Luca Carlevarijs, with no fewer than five Figure studies, all from the collection of Tito Miotti, which enrich the important group of the artist’s drawings already held in the civic collections – among the most significant in the world, alongside those of the British Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. These are small sheets in which Carlevarijs depicted ordinary people at work, women engaged in conversation, and men sitting or standing, thus forming the repertoire of characters that would later populate his cityscapes. A black-pencil preparatory drawing for the Temptations of Saint Anthony Abbot is by Sebastiano Ricci. It offers a masterful demonstration of the master’s ability to render chiaroscuro with a confident line and vigorous hatching. Ricci’s pupils are also well represented in the Favaretto Rubelli collection: Gaspare Diziani is present with two studies, whilst Francesco Fontebasso is represented by an early copy of one of his master’s paintings. No collection of Venetian drawings would be complete without a caricature by Giambattista Tiepolo, in this case from the Valmarana album, as evidenced by the cut-off corners. This is a splendid example of the master’s satirical skill, revealing his ability to bring his characters to life with just a few pen strokes. Finally, a prominent place is occupied by two studies of cityscapes by Giovanni Antonio Canal, better known as Canaletto, which were part of an album formerly belonging to Italico Brass and subsequently lost. These fascinating sketches offer valuable insights into the Venetian painter’s working method and represent an important addition to Venice’s civic collections.
This significant donation by Favaretto Rubelli confirms several fundamental aspects of the mission of the Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia: the central role of the Department of Drawings and Prints in the study, conservation and promotion of historical works on paper; the role of the Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia as an institution capable of safeguarding and interpreting the cultural heritage entrusted to it, so that it may be preserved for and shared with future generations; and, last but not least, the enduring importance of the generosity and vision of donors, which remain at the very heart of the growth of our collections and of a shared sense of civic responsibility, for the benefit of the entire community.
After joining the family business in 1955 at the age of 24, Alessandro Favaretto Rubelli quickly succeeded in steering it towards international markets, opening offices and showrooms around the world: from London to Paris, from New York to Lyon, and as far as Dubai. Under his leadership, Rubelli entered into a series of collaborations with world-renowned artists and ateliers. further expanding his company’s range of exclusive and refined fabrics. Finally, in 2018, the Fondazione Rubelli was established to promote and disseminate the company’s cultural, historical and contemporary heritage, encompassing, alongside the Historical Archive, a collection of sketches for textiles and over 50,000 fabric samples.
Useful information
Opening times:
- until 31 October: 10 am – 6 pm (last admission 5 pm)
- from 1 November: 10 am – 5 pm (last admission 4 pm)
Closed Tuesdays
Tickets: the exhibition is included in the ticket price and museum itinerary
Find out more about tickets
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