Pellizza da Volpedo before Milan: "His beloved province, his unveiled jewels, his passion for photography, and his people."

While waiting for the major exhibition that Milan will dedicate to Pellizza da Volpedo from 26 September at the GAM, a "trip" (Arbasino would say) to the birthplace of the painter of the Fourth Estate could prove full of surprises, with the guidance of Pierluigi Pernigotti, director of the Pellizza Museums .

Does the plural imply a significant commitment? "Apt, the quote from Alberto Arbasino, born in Voghera, 15 kilometers from here. Until he invented the more famous destination, Chiasso, a trip to Volpedo could have been a perfect fit! There are three museums: the Studio-Museum, donated by his daughters Maria and Nerina to the Municipality in 1966 and opened to the public in 1994; since 2000, the Itineraries on Pellizzian Places (a widespread museum, featuring 18 large-scale reproductions of the painter's works in the places where they were created); since 2002, in the renovated "Piazza Quarto Stato" restored to its 19th-century layout, the Educational Museum. All managed thanks to 40 volunteers from the Association chaired by Aurora Scotti (curator of the upcoming Milanese exhibition, ed.), which I coordinate continuously, ensuring opening on Saturday, Sunday, and holiday afternoons. Under the mayor's wing, the young and determined Elisa Giardini."

With remarkable success, congratulations: in over thirty years, in a town of fewer than 1,200 inhabitants (among the Most Beautiful Villages in Italy), 195,000 visitors! Including the 51,000 who flocked to the special exhibition "Quarto Stato" in the studio on Via Rosano in a month and a half of 2001... "Since then, the Pellizza Biennale has been held in odd-numbered years, from September to October, now in its 13th edition (September 6th to October 13th). One of the strengths of the "visit package" is the open-air itineraries. The landscape, in every season and from every angle, is the eternal protagonist of Pellizza, who was born here in 1868 and until 1907 preferred the solitary life of a country painter to the more lucrative one in Milan, Rome, Florence, or Bergamo."

What has changed since he reproduced the natural "pictorial harmonies"? "The atmosphere and harmony of a century ago can still be felt, as director Francesco Fei captured in the film "Pellizza pittore da Volpedo," narrated by Fabrizio Bentivoglio. Released in theaters in February 2025, re-released on digital platforms for the exhibition at the GAM, it will be screened in Volpedo on September 7th."

Let's go back to the studio. A small work preserved here will be exhibited in Milan—a surprise? "A true Divisionist incunabulum: "The Brush of the Bridge over the Curone" (a brush, meaning the masonry work used to stem the river's flooding), created in 1892, after the artist attempted this great technical innovation, which fascinated him and became his signature style. The small oil painting, currently on loan to the Studio-Museum in Volpedo, will be on display at the GAM alongside the more mature version."

Before painting, Pellizza took photographs. This is a little-known aspect. Will it be highlighted in the Milan exhibition? "The camera was central and important to him, having been in use since 1888, when he was an Academy student. He then employed professionals in Alessandria, Tortona, and Voghera, as well as Milan, Turin, and beyond. We have photos of family and friends, reproductions of works, and shots taken while paintings were in progress, often annotated. For the GAM exhibition, we will open all our drawers: from the archives of the Pellizza heirs and the Guerra and Mameli di Volpedo families, to public archives, such as the photographer Domenico Sartorio archive held at the Civic Museums and Photo Library of Alessandria, or that of Davide and Vittorio Cicala at the Civica Ricottiana in Voghera."

The painter's end was tragic, as he committed suicide in his studio in 1907, following the death of his wife Teresa from an infection contracted during childbirth for baby Pietro, who died shortly after birth. Are there any heirs to the Volpedesi who posed in "The Fourth Estate"? "Grandchildren and great-grandchildren, descendants of his daughters, never fail to support the Association. The personalities of the protagonists of the large painting of the workers were also explored. At least twenty were identified, with personal details and professions: farmers and bricklayers, artisans, public employees, merchants, the village pharmacist. Every social category was covered. And four female representatives were present, starting with Teresa. A people on the march who have never ceased to advance and inspire emotion. Central to the work is Giovanni Zarri (1853-1910), known as Gioanon: from his family of bricklayers and master builders, I descend on my mother's side."