In the heart of Volpedo is the Giovanni Pellizza Home and Studio, an extraordinary place that holds the artistic legacy and memory of the great Divisionist painter and author of the famous Fourth Estate. It was here, nestled in the Piedmont countryside, that Pellizza lived, practiced and created his most important works.
The studio, a large parallelepiped room overlooking the meadows, was built in 1888 at the painter’s behest and enlarged until, in 1896, it took on its present appearance characterized by the large zenithal skylight that gives uniform natural light, ideal for painting. Pellizza had direct access to the studio from his home: the current entrance on Via Rosano, built above the irrigation ditch, was built only after the artist’s daughters donated the studio to the Municipality of Volpedo in 1966, to physically separate it from the family home.
As soon as you cross the threshold, the size of the space is striking: a room measuring 6.50 x 8.25 meters by a height of 5.5 meters, designed to allow the artist to work on large canvases. Careful restoration work, carried out between 1987 and 1994, restored the atelier to the original conditions Pellizza wanted: the walls have the dark, warm sienna brown coloring used in nineteenth-century ateliers to modulate the light and favor the rendering of colors on canvas.
A fascinating element is the architectural band that Pellizza himself painted at the conclusion of the walls: a trompe-l’œil of refined perspective that creates the illusion of a frame with raised moldings, a masterpiece of monochrome and technical skill that reveals the depth of his talent.
Today, visiting the Giovanni Pellizza Home and Studio means immersing oneself in the painter’s most intimate dimension, admiring the place where his masterpieces were born and understanding the dedication and research that characterized his art.
Opening hours:
– May-September: Saturdays, Sundays and holidays 4-7 p.m.
– October-April: Saturdays, Sundays and holidays 3-5 p.m.