Morandi Museum, Bologna
The Morandi Museum (Museo Morandi) in Bologna houses the largest and most relevant public collection dedicated to the great artist. Here visitors can find a great number of artworks made by the greatest Italian engraver of the 20th century, and one of the best masters of his craft in the world. The canvases are placed in a beautiful modern art gallery, showing the status and significance of the exhibition.
History of the museum
The museum was opened on October 4, 1993, thanks to the generous donation of Maria Teresa Morandi, the artist's sister. Originally, it was located in the Palazzo d'Accursio, on the main square of Bologna. The museum was run by art critic Marilena Pasquali until 2001. After she resigned, the institution lost its autonomy. The rich collection was divided: one part was moved to the Museum of Modern Art, the other one – to the artist’s former house, the third remained untouched. After the earthquake in 2012, many buildings had to be restored and because of that, all the parts of the Morandi's collection were brought together again. The place was opened to the public on November 18, 2012, in the Museum of Modern Art. Since then, the Morandi Museum has been a very important part of this modern gallery.
Museum’s exhibitions
The permanent exhibition offers 85 out of all 214 artworks created by Morandi. The exhibition project analyzes themes and seasons that characterize the working career of Giorgio Morandi. The exposition also lets visitors see his artistic life also by combining the works of other contemporary authors. All works are thematically divided into 5 parts:
- Outside the genre. This section has the works in the genres that aren’t typical for the artist.
- Time and composition. It shows how the essence of the artist's qualities is expressed through common objects, space, and colors as well as the elements of geometry characteristic for Morandi. On the canvas, he breaks the object into elements to bring back the visible, transparent feeling. The formal strictness of his still life paintings is accompanied by a quiet and contemplative atmosphere.
- Landscapes.
- Engravings. This is a collection of the main artworks, thanks to which the artist achieved world fame in the period 1930–1956.
- Poetics of the object. Still-life paintings created during Morandi’s adulthood belong here. The artist used to pour his heart out and express various emotional states even by making art in this genre. Here you can see the last still life of Morandi, created in 1964.
In a separate section, there is a list of all world exhibitions dedicated to the master that has been around since 2008.
How to get
The museum is located in the historical center of Bologna, on Via Don Giovanni Minzoni, 14. Not far from it are the majestic Porta Galliera and the Medieval Museum. The closest bus stop is called Mambo (buses № 32, 33, 35, 556, 651, 706, 826).
Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 18:30, in the fourth from 10:00 to 22:00. Closed Monday. Contact number for inquiries: (+39) 051 6496611.
Admission: a full ticket will cost 6 euros, reduced one (for visitors age 18–25 and over 65, groups of 10 people) – 4 euros. The entry is free for persons under 18, and also on the first Sunday of the month. The ticket also allows you to visit permanent and temporary exhibitions of the Museum of Modern Art. The information about admission and opening hours may be changed.
