“Today more than ever it is necessary that art and culture return to the center of public speech, as elements of universal fruition, confrontation and dialogue. Art speaks a language that crosses every border – like music – and is by its nature an instrument of union. ” With these words the Minister of Culture Alessandro Giuli opened a day with a strong symbolic value, culminated in Sotheby’s with the finalization of the purchase of Antonello da Messina’s Ecce Homo.
Next to the Minister, present the Consul General of Italy in New York Giuseppe Pastorelli and the Ambassador of Italy in Washington Marco Peronaci, witnessing an operation that combines cultural and institutional dimension. The work, one of the most intense and recognizable of the Sicilian master, represents one of the leaders of Renaissance painting and today marks a fundamental step: the return in the Italian public perimeter of a masterpiece so far preserved in a private collection.
In the presence of the Italian authorities, Christopher Apostle also intervened, among the leaders of the auction house, which stressed the historical and cultural value of the operation: “Antonello da Messina is one of the greatest masters of the Italian Renaissance. This exceptional work embodies his genius and represents one of the highest artistic expressions of history. His return to a public institution will ensure that he can be admired by future generations, in the cultural and historical context that belongs to them. ” Apostle also highlighted how the Ecce Homo represents a cultural heritage of universal value, destined to continue to inspire as a symbol of beauty, identity and dialogue between past and present.
Uno dei due lati del quadro | via Lev Radin/ZUMA Press Wire/ANSA
In his speech, Giuli reiterated the active role of Italian institutions in managing the heritage: “It is essential to keep moving the works of art, make them accessible and bring them back, when possible, to the places they belong to by history and identity. ” A process that, as underlined by the Minister, requires timeliness and decision-making, especially in highly competitive contexts such as that of large international auction houses: “We acted very quickly. In contexts such as this, characterized by international interests — both public and private — it is necessary to be extremely timely to ensure the successful outcome of the operation. ”
Giuli finally recalled the specific responsibility of Italy in preserving and enhancing its heritage: “Italy has a special responsibility: to protect and value a unique cultural heritage in the world. It is not only a matter of keeping it, but of making it alive, accessible, an integral part of the public dimension.” The Ecce Homo will then return to Italy, where it will be destined for public use through exhibitions and cultural initiatives, returning to the public a work that deeply belongs to the artistic history of the country.
An operation that goes beyond the acquisition: it represents a clear declaration of intent, in which protection, enhancement and international position of the Italian artistic heritage return to the center of institutional action.
L’articolo New York, l'<i>Ecce Homo</i> by Antonello da Messina returns to Italy: operation concluded by Sotheby’s proviene da IlNewyorkese.
