(2 March 2016) Residents and visitors have until March 13 to visit the National Museum of Fine Arts of Brazil in Rio de Janeiro (Av. Rio Branco, 199). There, they will be able to admire two Italian painting masterpieces ofdedicated to the patron saint of the Brazilian city: “San Sebastiano” by Guido Reni and the “San Sebastiano curate da Irene” by Guercino. It’s a tribute from Italy to the Brazilian capital on the occasion of the Year of Italy in Latin America and for the 450th anniversary since the establishment of Rio de Janeiro. The initiative was organized by the Museum with the Embassy of Italy in Brazil, the Capitoline Museums in Rome, the Pinacoteca di Bologna and Enel Green Power. The Italian Cultural Institute in Rio de Janeiro and the Italian Consulate General in Rio de Janeiro also collaborated in the initiative. The San Sebastiano is an Italian Baroque work that captures the late maturity of master Reni, and is one of eight paintings that the artist dedicated to the figure of the 3rd century martyr. “San Sebastiano curate da Irene” is a work by Giovanni Francesco Barbieri, known as Il Guercino, for Cardinal Jacopo Serra in 1619. With the loan of the two works, the promoters and organizers wanted to kick off a structured collaboration between museums that extends beyond the realization of simple exhibition projects. (red)
Italian art pays homage to Rio with Saint Sebastian
