Religious Art
Body and soul
The large exhibit space, which is dominated by Antonio Begarelli’s (1499-1565) famous Madonna di Piazza, was designated for Religious Art at the beginning of the 20th century. On display are paintings, sculptures, goldwork and décor for liturgical use, which document figurative production in Modena and the surrounding area from the Middle Ages to the 18th century.
For the most part these are objects that are part of to the old cultural and artistic fabric of the city, which came to be included in the Museum’s collections in the first few decades after its founding. Of particular note among the oldest pieces are the liturgical goldwork from the Abbey of Frassinoro, founded by Matilde di Canossa’s mother, Beatrice, a Wiligelmian stoup and a Maestri Campionesi capital dating back to the 12th century, fragments of 13th and 14th century frescoes from the cathedral and a cymatium of a triptych made by Tomaso da Modena around 1345. The pieces that stand out among the Renaissance works are the Cristo crocifisso and the Testa di angelo by Antonio Begarelli and an altarpiece by Gian Gherardo Dalle Catene. The evolution in painting in the Duchy of the House of Este during the 17th and 18th centuries is illustrated in canvases by Francesco Stringa, Sigismondo Caula, Antonio Consetti and Giacomo Zoboli.
Of particular interest are the examples of artistic craftsmanship, which represent times and places from the local traditions, such as engraving and frame gilding and the art of scagliola.