NAPLES presents a special exhibition showcasing the enduring creative legacy of Old Master
artists and artisans from the Italian city during the 17th and 18th centuries. Bringing together
painting and craftsmanship, the exhibition highlights the artistic vitality of Baroque Naples.
Opening in conjunction with London Art Week at Colnaghi London, NAPLES marks the first
exhibition in London devoted to the city and its arts in over forty years. At its centre is a
magnificent 18th century crèche, known in Italian as a presepe, a monumental Nativity scene
traditional to Baroque Naples, presented together with Dario Porcini.
The exhibition also features a selection of religious, landscape and still life paintings by some of
the most important artists who worked in Naples, including Jusepe de Ribera, Luca Giordano and
Massimo Stanzione. These works reflect the artistic environment that inspired the craftsmen of
the presepe.
The recreation of Nativity scenes with modelled figures and animals was widespread in Italy from
the 13th and 14th centuries. By the 18th century in Naples, these scenes developed into highly
dramatic and theatrical creations, often monumental in scale. Combining sacred elements such as
the Holy Family, angels and shepherds with scenes of contemporary life, they offer detailed
insights into Neapolitan culture of the period.
The presepe presented at Colnaghi is one of the finest examples outside Naples. Created from a
wide range of materials including painted terracotta, carved wood, glass, wire and textiles, it
stages the Nativity within a detailed Neapolitan setting and reflects the craftsmanship for which
the city is known.
Additional highlights include paintings by Ribera, Stanzione and Giordano, still lifes by Giuseppe
Recco and views of Naples by Antonio Joli. Together, the works in NAPLES offer a focused insight
into the artistic production of the city and the relationship between fine art and devotional tradition
in the Baroque period.
