Galleria Estense

Description

The Estense Gallery consists of sixteen exhibition rooms with four large salons arranged thematically. The collection houses an eclectic range of oeuvres executed by both notable and local artists. Although for the most part centred around Italian painters, it also includes a modest number of Flemish, German and French artworks (Workshop of van Eyck; Aelbrecht Bouts; Charles Le Brun), as well as non-Western examples from Sierra Leone and Iran.

Among the decorative objects of note, the mannerist "Estense Harp" stands out. A rare musical instrument, the double harp's 148 cm were crafted entirely by hand through a collaboration between five Ferrarese and Flemish artists: Giacometti, Marescotti, Bastarolo, Rosselli and Lamberti. It then comes as no surprise that it featured on Italian 1,000 lire banknotes next to Verdi from 1961 to 1981. The gallery also houses a Madonna and Child and a Telamon by the Modenese sculptor Wiligelmo, an 18th-century coral nativity scene and a still-life carved in wood celebrating the ascension of James II of England.

In 1598, the Este dukes were forced to yield their seat of Ferrara to Pope Clement VIII and the capital of the dukedom was relocated to Modena. Duke Cesare tried to bring with him as much of the Este inheritance as possible, including many cases full of rare and precious objects.

As for the remaining works in Ferrara, Cesare, who was perhaps not as fond of art patronage as his ancestors, did not hesitate to donate large parts of the collection to seek favour with powerful political figures, notably the Cardinal Borghese and Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor. …

Collection

The Jester; panels from Alfonso d'Este's Bedroom Ceiling; Ercole d'Este and others by Dosso Dossi

Roundels from Virginia de' Medici's Apartment in the Palazzo dei Diamanti by the Carracci brothers

A collection of fresco cycles from the Rocca di Scandiano by Niccolò dell'Abate and from the Rocca di Novellara by Lelio Orsi.