The exhibition presents a rich selection of works from the vast Sorlini collection. These fifty Venetian paintings date from the fifteenth to the eighteenth century and usually hang in the various residences of the family. Here, they are brought together for the first time in a public exhibition that provides a most stimulating account of three centuries of art in the Venetian Republic.

With its own Museo Correr the fruit of the passion and generosity of a great collector, the Musei Civici Veneziani has always been attentive to the changing tastes and perceptions of private collectors, to whom it continues to be a debtor. This exhibition, therefore, not only presents the public with an important collection of paintings produced in the Venetian Republic from the fifteenth to the eighteenth century, it also charts the growth of the collection put together by Luciano and Agnese Sorlini. The fruit of a love of art and a passionate interest in culture, the collection began in the immediate post-war period, initially to provide works that would embellish the couple’s homes in Lombardy and the Veneto. Ultimately, in 2002, it would lead to the creation of the Fondazione Luciano e Agnese Sorlini in the Brescia area, intended to make this extraordinary assembly of artistic wealth available to the public.

Thanks to collaboration with the Associazione Amici dei Musei e Monumenti Veneziani, visitors will also be able to draw upon the services of young art historians, whose comments can add to a fuller and more informed enjoyment of the works on display. This service is dedicated to the memory of Enrico Chiari.