I
spent one day in Naples with my husband, my parents in law and one of my boys.
The trip is only one hour by train from Rome, very comfortable with
Frecciarossa and Italo. It was a warm sunny day; Naples’ recently renovated
railway station is modern, clean and welcoming, included the toilets, though a
bit expensive (€ 1). The underground was spotless and looked new as well. The
National Archaeological Museum was efficiently organised, though I found the
captions a bit cryptic sometimes.
Visiting
Naples was riveting and fascinating. The city has so many faces, all
interesting, revealing cultural, artistic and social diversity that have been
layered throughout centuries, as Pino Daniele brilliantly sings: https://lyricstranslate.com/en/napule-%C3%A8-naples.html. This is well explained in
the Museum with artefacts that date from the 4th century BC. Unique Attic black
amphorae illustrating Greek myths, helmets and gold jewels from Magna Graecia
time were on display as well as Roman statues, some of them copies of Greek
originals. There were statues and bronzes rescued from the sea near the blue
grotto of Anacapri and at Punta Licosa. At the entrance hall a beautiful
Neapolitan Presepe welcomes the visitor. It is circular showing the activities
and products of the region with the nativity on top. The Presepe in Neapolitan
tradition not only represents the nativity, it reveals an identity that mingles
culture, art, religion, agricultural production and food of the region. It is
an artistic expression appreciated by all social classes from aristocracy to
ordinary people.
One of the most interesting pieces was
Atlante Farnese, a copy from a Greek original, who holds the earth on his back,
one of the most ancient representations of the earth and sky with the
constellations in relief. Among statues of Venus Kallipygos or Callypige, Hera,
Ercules and busts of emperors there was the exhibition of contemporary
sculptures in metal work by Riccardo Dalisi. He is an artist born in Potenza in
1931 who worked both at the Faculty of Architecture at the University of Naples
and with young people at the rough Rione Sanitá in Naples. His approach aims to
establish a dialogue between design, sculpture, craftmanship and painting. It
is a very creative work, surprising, unconventional, commenting in an ironic
way to the apparently serious Roman statues. It offers a captivating comparison
with the past and a possible reflection to the viewer between past and present.
The museum also displays Roman paintings that reveal
an incredible modernity in the movement of the figures, draping and the use of
perspective. The legacy of still life paintings from 17th century on
to Roman paintings is clear, though the arrangement of the objects is still
embryonic in the ancient works. Mosaics from the Casa del Fauno in Pompei and
the famous ‘Battle of Alexander’ (2nd century BC) were on display as
well. This is another clear source of inspiration for many paintings of
battles, such as Paolo Uccello’s battles, just to give an example. They are impressive
unique works I was happy I could admire.
After the museum we had lunch at Lombardi
pizzeria with a delicious pizza margherita and fantastic desserts: babá (rum
baba), cassata siciliana and a special cassata covered with dark chocolate.
They were extraordinarily delicious. I also bought some Neapolitan sfogliatelle
and cannoli for my mum at pasticceria Rescigno, then we entered Naples’ old alleys to
reach Chapel San Severo and Pio Monte della Misericordia.
Walking
through the ancient alleys I could glimpse what Naples is. Cobbled streets not
exactly clean, with heaps of rubbish here and there and occasional cigarette
butts or cans. Some buildings are dilapidated and laundry is hanging from
windows and balconies. There are graffiti everywhere, 
We
also visited the Chapel San Severo and admired the masterpiece of the famous
Veiled Christ (1753) by Giuseppe Sanmartino, a marble sculpture representing a
reclined Christ giving the illusion that the body is covered with tissue. It is
an impressive work both in its conception and rendering where the sense of
decomposition suggested by the abandonment of the head and the folding and
wrinkles of the veil contrast with the roundness of the shoulders and legs.
The ‘Sette
Opere della Misericordia’ (the seven works of mercy) by Caravaggio is located at
Pio Monte della Misericordia, a Catholic Charity institution founded in 1602,
with a Baroque church. In the painting the movement created by the different
figures representing the seven works of mercy is unique. They gather in the
painting in the form of naked bodies and draped ones exposing their naturalness
and ordinariness under the vigil eyes of the two angels embracing each other
and hovering from above. It is a revolutionary piece denoting originality in
the composition and outstanding skills.
Around
the church there was a display of interesting sculptures by the Belgian artist
Jan Fabre made with coral dust in forms of
crosses interweaving with flowers, hearts according to Catholic iconography.
The coral was donated by Neapolitan producers and the artworks now belong to
Pio Monte della Misericordia.
I
loved visiting Naples but there was no time to see everything, so I hope we
will have a chance to go back maybe stay a few days. Back to Rome, I visited
the exhibition Bacon and Freud: the
School of London at Chiostro del Bramante near piazza Navona. It was very
interesting with works from the Tate
Britain and explanatory captions. There were a good number of works by Francis
Bacon and Lucian Freud and a few paintings by Frank Auerbach, Leon
Kossoff, Paula Rego and Michael Andrews. I reviewed the exhibition here for
London Grip:
