Riva del Garda Nativity Art Exhibition Highlights Monogrammista FV

The Museo Civico di Riva del Garda is hosting a special exhibition from today (opening at 6 PM) until February 18th, dedicated to the theme of the Nativity as depicted in some paintings from the first half of the sixteenth century.

The proximity of the Christmas holidays inspired an exploration of the enigmatic figure of the mysterious Monogrammista FV, an eclectic and highly active artist.

Main Work and Historical-Artistic Comparison

The painter left a splendid „Adoration of the Shepherds“ in Riva, specifically in the demolished church of the Disciplina, signed and dated 1530, now housed at the Pinacoteca del Museo.

Starting from this work, the exhibition aims to investigate an important period in Trentino art history, comparing it with other similar-themed pieces from churches and museums, by artists such as Bartolomeo Dill, Gerolamo Romanino, Marcello Fogolino, who in those years were involved in decorating the Magno Palazzo di Trento, the current Castello del Buonconsiglio.

Analysis of FV’s Artistic Influences

To further explore the multifaceted personality of FV, the exhibition features his other autograph paintings, concentrated between 1530 and 1532, from Arco, Riva, and Ville del Monte.

These works clearly show the intertwining of diverse artistic experiences that characterize his painting, with northern influences merging with Lombard and Venetian ones, resulting in notable figurative results that qualify him as one of the most significant presences in the Alto Garda region.

Works by Other Artists and Critical Interest

Alongside Monogrammista FV, there are also works by Zenone Veronese, Francesco Prata from Caravaggio, and Giovanni Demio, the Scledense painter who has recently attracted strong critical interest, with proposals to identify him precisely as FV.

Significance and Cultural Context of the Exhibition

This is a unique opportunity to deepen the understanding of Renaissance art history, immersing oneself in the magical atmospheres always evoked in the human soul by representations of the birth of Christ, especially in these painted nativity scenes.

The initiative, promoted by the Municipality, aims to participate in the celebrations of the Jubilee Year. It was made possible thanks to the valuable collaboration of the Province and is sponsored by the diocesan curia and Archbishop Luigi Bressan.