Venice in the Details

The Museo Correr is one of Venice’s many museums and is home to many pieces of art that tell the history of the city. The story of how the museum’s collection came to be is a unique one.  The Museo Correr is named after Teodoro Correr, who was a Venetian nobleman in the late 1700s.  Early in his career, he followed the typical path of someone of his stature – public administration. However, his real passion was collecting, and he went to extreme measures to pursue this passion. In order to rid himself of his duties as a public administrator, he went so far as to become an abbot.

            Correr’s collection was unusual in that it was collected at a time at which most of Venice’s nobility was selling off their collection rather than expanding. He collected during the time when Venice lost its sovereignty to an invasion by Napoleon. During this unstable time, most of the nobility was happy to be selling off their collections and reaping the large sums of money that their priceless collections demanded. Correr took advantage of this, buying up many of the collections and saving them from being taken from the city by wealthy foreigners hungry for a piece of Venice’s rich artistic tradition. He was known to be ruthless in gathering his collections and was not above extorting and strong-arming his way into ownership of a piece if he wanted it enough.

            The collections of the Museo Correr are significant because from daily life to naval achievements to public celebrations, its paintings represent a huge part of Venetian history. Most importantly, this collection never left the city. At the time that it was gathered, many of Venice’s artistic treasures made an exodus from the city at the hands of the Napoleonic invaders. Although many of the works have now returned to the city, the Correr collection never left. Because of this, as well as Teodoro Correr’s belief that his art should be for everyone to enjoy, the collection has been on display for the public since Correr’s death in 1830. The museum is now open to the public and is run as a civic museum by the city of Venice.

            The building itself also has an interesting history. The part we see in front of us is the Napoleonic wing. It was built as a palace for the ruler put in place by Napoleon when he conquered Italy. Since it was in fact a palace, the museum itself is a work of art. If we were to step inside, we would find an ornate interior that was designed by the Venetian artist Giuseppe Borsato, and above the main staircase, we would find an impressive fresco by Sebastino Santi. Despite the fact that it is a museum itself, the Museo Correr could still be said to follow the Venetian tradition of art staying where it was in the first place rather than being moved to museums.  The architecture of the building reveals a neoclassical design typical of the Napoleonic Period that stands out in constrast to the Venetian Gothic style typical throughout the city.

            This difference in architecture is what struck me the most upon seeing the Museo Correr after getting a feeling for the rest of Venice. Despite the mix of architecture present throughout Venice, to me, the Museo Correr simply did not seem to fit. It looked like a piece of Paris had fallen out of the sky and imposed itself on the Piazza San Macro, which isn’t far off from the truth. This, along with the horses of the Basilica San Macro being taken to Paris, are reminders of how difficult it must have been for a people of such a proud tradition of independence to be conquered by Napoleon. Consider how earth shattering it would be if America was to be invaded and lose its independence. It simply isn’t something we think of as a possibility—America seems unshakably permanent. It has only been independent for 200 years. How much more permanent much have Venetian sovereignty seemed to the Venetians, whose independence dates back for so much longer a time period?  Seeing the intruding architecture of the Napoleonic Wing of the Museo Correr on one side of the Piazza San Marco and the basilica without its iconic symbols of Venetian freedom must have been a painful reminder to the Venetians of what they had lost.

Bibliography

"Building and History." Museo Correr. Fondazione Musei Civici Venezia, n.d. Web. 13 Mar. 2014. <http://correr.visitmuve.it/en/il-museo/museum/building-and-history/>.

"Museo Correr." Lonely Planet. Lonely Planet, n.d. Web. 13 Mar. 2014. <http://www.lonelyplanet.com/italy/venice/sights/museums-galleries/museo-correr>.

"Museo Correr." Google Cultural Institute. Google, n.d. Web. 13 Mar. 2014. <http://www.google.com/culturalinstitute/collection/museo-correr>.

"Museo Correr: A Fascinating Insight into the Art and History of Venice." My Art Guides. Venice Art Biennale 2013, 2013. Web. 13 Mar. 2014. <http://www.myartguides.com/venice-art-biennale-2013/art-spaces/foundations/item/486-museo-correr>.

"Teodoro Correr." Museo Correr. Fondazione Musei Civici Venezia, n.d. Web. 13 Mar. 2014. <http://correr.visitmuve.it/en/il-museo/museum/teodoro-correr/>.