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Roberto Longhi

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Roberto Longhi
Longhi in around 1960
Born(1890-12-28)28 December 1890
Alba,Piedmont,Kingdom of Italy
Died3 June 1970(1970-06-03)(aged 79)[1]
Florence,Italy
Alma materUniversity of Turin
Known forScholarship onCaravaggioandPiero della Francesca
SpouseLucia Lopresti
Scientific career
FieldsArt history
PatronsCountAlessandro Contini Bonacossi(1878–1955)
Thesis(1911)
Doctoral advisorPietro Toesca
Notable studentsEvelina Borea,Giovanni Previtali, Luciano Bellosi
WebsiteFondazione di Studi di Storia dell'Arte Roberto Longhi

Roberto Longhi(28 December 1890 – 3 June 1970) was an Italian academic, art historian, and curator. The main subjects of his studies were the paintersCaravaggioandPiero della Francesca.[2]

Early life and career[edit]

Longhi was born in December 1890 inAlba, Piedmontto parents fromEmilia.He studied with Pietro Toesca, inTurin,and Adolfo Venturi in Rome. The latter made him book reviews editor of the journalL'Artein 1914. Between 1912 and 1917, Longhi, primarily anessayist,published texts inL'ArteandLa VoceonMattia Preti,Piero della Francesca,Orazio BorgianniandOrazio Gentileschi.[3]His writings inL'Artewere academic whereas his writings inLa Vocewere very radical.[3]

Over the course of his career Longhi developed a fascination with Caravaggio and his followers. his bookQuesiti caravaggeschi[Questions on Caravaggio] (1928–34), was followed byUltimi studi caravaggeschi[Latest Caravaggio studies] (1943). In 1951, Longhi curated a ground-breaking exhibition on Caravaggio at theRoyal PalaceinMilan,Mostra di Caravaggio e dei Caravaggeschi.[4]In 1968 he authored a monograph on the artist.

Whilst establishing himself as a notable Caravaggio scholar, Longhi retained a lively interest in Piero della Francesca, editing a monograph in 1928, representing him as the leading painter of theQuattrocento.Longhi believed Piero della Francesca played a decisive role in the development of Venetian painting. This monograph, whichKenneth Clarkopined could hardly be improved upon, established itself as a classic of art-historical literature.[1]

Between 1920 and 1922, Longhi made aGrand Tourof Europe. He never visited Russia, nor some American collections, like theKress Collectionof theNational Gallery,Washington. However, his first-hand viewing of many works, like those in theBorghese GalleryinRome,led to the rediscovery of many lost masterpieces such as two panels of aGiottoaltarpiece.

Longhi also rekindled interest in a large number of followers of Caravaggio, such asHendrick ter Brugghen(he edited a monograph in 1927) and some painters fromFerrara.His bookOfficina Ferrarese(1934) still stands as an exemplary study.[1]Along with the publication of theOfficina,Longhi started his academic career, first as Professor atBologna University(from 1935), and later in Florence.

Role in Nazi art looting[edit]

During the Second World War, Longhi advised Eugenio Ventura, a dealer in Florence, who was investigated for his involvement in an exchange of pictures confiscated by the Nazi looting organisation known as the ERR orReichsleiter Rosenberg Taskforce.[5]He also advisedCount Alessandro Contini-Bonacossi(1878–1955) until 1945.[6][7]

Postwar[edit]

In 1950, Longhi co-founded and edited with his wifeAnna BantiParagone,a bi-monthly magazine on art and literature still running to this day.[as of?]

Longhi also curated a number of exhibitions, includingMostra della pittura bolognese del Trecento(Pinacoteca Nazionale, Bologna, 1948);[8]I pittori della realtà in Lombardia(Royal Palace, Milan, 1953); andArte lombarda dai Visconti agli Sforza(Royal Palace, Milan, 1958).[9]

Cimitero degli Allori, Roberto Longhi

Longhi died on 3 June 1970, and is buried atCimitero degli Alloriin Florence.

Honors[edit]

  • Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (2 June 1961)[11]

References[edit]

  1. ^abcBloch, Vitale (October 1971). "Obituaries: Roberto Longhi".The Burlington Magazine.113(823): 609–612.JSTOR876766.
  2. ^Longhi, RobertoArchived29 June 2013 at theWayback MachineDictionary of Art Historians
  3. ^abLaura Moure Cecchini (2019). "Baroque Futurism: Roberto Longhi, the Seventeenth Century, and the Avant-Garde".The Art Bulletin.101(2): 31.doi:10.1080/00043079.2019.1527641.S2CID194289254.
  4. ^Longhi, Roberto (1951).Mostra del Caravaggio e dei caravaggeschi Catalogo.Florence:Sansoni.
  5. ^"Art Looting Intelligence Unit (ALIU) Reports 1945-1946 and ALIU Red Flag Names List and Index".lootedart.Retrieved23 February2022.Ventura, Eugenio. Florence. Antique dealer. Visited personally by Goering, with whom he became involved in an important exchange of pictures confiscated by the ERR. Advised during the war by the well known expert, Roberto Longhi.
  6. ^"Dealer Records: Count Alessandro Contini-Bonacossi (1878-1955)".lootedart.Retrieved23 February2022.
  7. ^admin (21 February 2018)."Longhi, Roberto".Dictionary of Art Historians.Retrieved23 February2022.
  8. ^"1950 - Mostra della pittura bolognese del Trecento - Cronologia di Bologna dal 1796 a oggi".
  9. ^"Arte lombarda dai Visconti agli Sforza,Milano celebra il suo glorioso passato ".13 March 2015.
  10. ^"LONGHI Prof. Roberto. Cavaliere di Gran Croce Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana".quirinale.it.Retrieved8 April2024.
  11. ^"Longhi Prof. Roberto. Grande Ufficiale Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana".quirinale.it.Retrieved8 April2024.

Bibliography[edit]

  • Longhi, Roberto (1927).Piero della Francesca.Rome: Valori Plastici.
  • Longhi, Roberto (1934).Officina ferrarese.Edizioni d'Italia.
  • Longhi, Roberto (1946).Viatico per cinque secoli di pittura veneziana.Florence:Sansoni.
  • Longhi, Roberto (1951).Mostra del Caravaggio e dei caravaggeschi Catalogo.Florence:Sansoni.
  • Longhi, Roberto (1956–1991).Edizione delle opere complete di Roberto Longhi. 14 vols.Florence: Sansoni.
  • Longhi, Roberto; Ghidiglia Quintavalle, Augusta (1964).Correggio: the Frescoes in San Giovanni Evangelista in Parma.New York: H. N. Abrams.
  • Longhi, Roberto (1968).Me pinxit e quesiti caravaggeschi, 1928-1934.Florence: Sansoni.OL18650068M.

External links[edit]

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