The Campori Collection
A born collector
The exhibit hall houses the paintings from the Gallery of the Marquis Matteo Campori, which was originally located in the family estate in Via Ganaceto. The estate, including the works and the furnishings, were donated to the Municipality of Modena in 1929.
The collection includes paintings with both religious and secular subjects, still-lifes, landscapes and genre scenes that reveal the collector’s taste, which was inspired by overly refined criteria and oriented towards 17th and 18th century painting from the schools of Emilia, Lombardy, Veneto, Liguria and Piedmont. Among the most significant works, a few in particular stand out: the Portrait of General Pallfly’s Son by Giuseppe Maria Crespi, the Portarolo (Porter Boy Resting) by Giacomo Ceruti, Domine quo vadis by Ludovico Lana and the Testa di fanciulla con turbante (Girl’s Portrait With Turban) by Francesco Stringa. The ensemble of landscapes and architectural follies with works by Marco Ricci, Michele Marieschi and Antonio Jolli is quite exquisite. Of note is the Carità del Cerano, fragment of one of the paintings that was part of the famous series of Miracoli di san Carlo Borromeo done for the Cathedral of Milan.
The cardinal Pietro Campori is recalled by the 17th century marble bust with his effigy and the large door with the emblem of the prelate.