The Pinacoteca di Brera (Pinacoteca di Brera) in Milan is located within the Brera Academy of Fine Arts, a building known as the Palazzo di Brera. At first, I saw only a group of students eating and attending classes, and I almost couldn't find the gallery. Later, I discovered the entrance is on the second floor. It houses many classic Italian paintings, and a romantic botanical garden is hidden behind. Located within the Palazzo di Brera, the building itself dates back to the Baroque period. Since the 18th century, it has been a renowned and important Italian art academy. The Pinacoteca di Brera has always housed the finest Italian works for student education, including a large collection of renowned works from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. I only became familiar with these painters after visiting numerous art galleries and museums in Italy, but after learning more about them, each painting became truly fascinating. For those who enjoy fine art, a visit to the Pinacoteca di Brera in Milan is highly recommended!
We arrived a day early for our MSC cruise, so we planned a day trip to Milan. Besides the Duomo, Milan's most famous landmark is undoubtedly Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper. Besides these famous attractions, we also had the opportunity to visit the Pinacoteca di Brera. It's not too big, but not too small either. If you're new to fine art and just want to wander around and admire it, plan on 2-3 hours. If you're particularly interested in works from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, plan on 5 hours. We spent about 3 hours there. Although we admired each painting individually, not every one was explained. I really enjoyed the exhibition space and layout. You can admire works by Caravaggio (the founder of the Baroque style), Bellini (the founder of the Venetian school), Francesco Hayez (a leading artist of the Italian Romantic school), and others. It's truly an art academy, with a wealth of works from various Italian painting periods.
Original sculpture of the bronze statue of Napoleon.
St. Mark Preaching in Alexandria, the largest portrait in the gallery, was painted by Giovanni Bellini's brother.
The Crucifixion - Michele da Verona｜1470 – 1536, Rinascimento.
Giovanni Bellini's Pietà
Another 15th-century painting, this one humanizes the story of Christ. We see the Virgin Mary and John the Baptist supporting Christ and holding him in mourning as he dies. Bellini was clearly inspired by Mantegna; in fact, as they were close relatives, they often collaborated.
The Pinacoteca di Brera in Milan houses several renowned depictions of the Death of Christ, the most famous of which is Andrea Mantegna's Lamentation over the Death of Christ. Created around 1480, this painting is renowned for its realistic foreshortening of Christ's lifeless body, emphasizing the wounds and physical suffering. A haunting late 15th-century painting depicts the body of Jesus lying on a stone slab. While many depictions of Jesus depict him with his eyes closed and covered in wounds, he often appears warm, sacred, and even vibrant. However, what is truly striking about this painting is the bluish hue of his body, as if the life itself has been drained away. It humanizes Jesus in a way that other paintings lack.
The Last Supper is too secular, with things like dogs appearing and Mary Magdalene plastering Jesus' feet. In modern terms, this is a secularization of the most serious subject, a characteristic of the Venetian school.
The Italian Renaissance master Piero della Francesca's "Madonna of Brera," also known as the Montefeltro Altarpiece, is a "sacra conversazione" (sacred conversation) depicting the Virgin Mary enthroned with the infant Jesus, surrounded by angels, saints, and the painting's patron, Federico da Montefeltro, Duke of Urbino, who kneels in armor.
Raphael's "The Marriage of the Virgin" (Italian: Lo Sposalizio) is an oil painting completed in 1504, depicting the wedding of the Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph. This work is a representative work of Raphael's early mature period and is now in the collection of the Pinacoteca di Brera in Milan. In his short life of 37, he established a model for centuries. This work, created in his twenties, is also his most famous work.
The great architect Bramante's main achievements were in architecture, but his frescoes were also excellent. "Christ at the Pillar" is an oil painting on panel, believed to be the work of Italian Renaissance architect and painter Donato Bramante. It was created around 1490 and is now in the Brera Gallery in Milan.
Canvas repaired here
Tintoretto's "Finding of the Body of Saint Mark"
This stunning 16th-century work of art by the Venetian artist Tintoretto is impressive for its elegant attention to structural detail and its depth. It depicts not a single moment but multiple overlapping moments. It depicts both the discovery of the saint's remains and the miracle he performed in the same painting.
The Kiss by Francesco Hayez
This mid-19th-century Romantic painting depicts an intimate encounter between two lovers. Their passionate kiss was unusual before this time. It is one of the museum's most internationally recognized paintings.