Donated by the Mondadori family in 1974 and on permanent display at Palazzo Te since 1983, the collection includes 19 works by Federico Zandomeneghi and 13 by Armando Spadini.
The Mondadori family’s decision was prompted by a desire for the public to have access to the paintings collected with such enthusiasm by Arnoldo Mondadori, and by the museum’s informative purpose.
Federico Zandomeneghi (1841-1917) was an important figure among late 19th century Italian artists, and several monographic exhibitions of his work have been held in recent years.
Venetian by birth, after a formative experience with the Macchiaioli in Florence, he moved to Paris in 1874. Here he developed his own personal style of Impressionism. He was particularly influenced by the painting of Degas, as can clearly be seen in works such as Al caffè and La grande danseuse.
The highly original pastels on display at Palazzo Te (La lezione, Il risveglio, Il compito, to mention a few) demonstrate Zandomeneghi’s skilful use of light and luminous colour. Also notable are his scenes of daily life, often with female subjects, where his attention is focused on gestures and the feelings these arouse.
His final years were devoted to still life works, also well represented in the Palazzo Te collection.
The paintings by Armando Spadini (1883-1925)at Palazzo Te reveal much about Arnoldo Mondadori’s preferences as a collector: his love of oils and studies of light en plein air and intimate, familiar scenes. Examples of these include Maternità, Bambini all’aria aperta, Bambina (Anna) tra i fiori and Il mattino.