Como: Watercolour impressions

The exhibition, curated by Veronica Vittani e Francesca Testoni, is one of the supporting events organised to complement the major exhibition dedicated to J.M.W. Turner, staged between the Broletto and the Civic Art Gallery by Como. The influence of the British master and his extraordinary mastery of the’watercolour form the central theme of the work of three artists from Como: Anna Castiglioni, Pierantonio Lorini e Giuliana Valli. Through some thirty works dedicated to the landscape of Lake Como, the three authors of the’Italian Watercolourists’ Association They interpret iconic glimpses and vistas, striking a balance between direct observation and poetic transfiguration. Three emblematic works stand out in the exhibition — Unforeseeable event, Fog over Lake Como e Bad weather over Como — conceived as an explicit homage to the famous painting Snowstorm preserved at the Tate by London.

Each of the three masters interprets the language of painting in accordance with their own stylistic approach: Anna Castiglioni employs a dreamlike and symbolic narrative, balanced by analytical rigour; Pierantonio Lorini prefers painting en plein air or the vivid memory of a high-altitude hike, evoking a melancholic atmosphere and fleeting mists; Giuliana Valli, finally, it presents a formal and essential synthesis that selects elements from reality to bring out the most intimate atmosphere of the area. The initiative highlights the central role of the City Museums by Como in promoting our historical heritage and in maintaining an ongoing dialogue with contemporary artistic production.