La Grande Galleria

This collection of fifteen essays – four of which are reprinted from journals – focuses on the development of the ducal collection in Turin across the reigns of Emanuele Filiberto (1553–1580) and Carlo Emanuele (1580–1630), as the collection evolved from a ‘Teatro universale di tutte le scienze’ to the Grande Galleria, which included twenty-two cabinets and roughly 14,000 volumes. This evolution also tells the story of the ducal states, reconstructed from 1559 by those two dukes following a period of partial occupation, culminating in the Grande Galleria’s construction as a statement of international prestige in the early seventeenth century, partly under the creative direction of Federico Zuccaro (1542–1609). Carlo Emanuele’s reputation, both during his lifetime and posthumously, has generally been framed by seeming inconstancy as a diplomatic actor and driving territorial ambition. Here, we see another dimension of his character, even if collecting was as much a political act as one of erudition or ‘connoisseurship’.

Art · Art history · Humanities · Prestige · Art History and Market Analysis · Historical Art and Culture Studies · Historical Influence and Diplomacy · History · Philosophy