Wed, February 15, 2017
18:00 – 19:30
VILLA LA PIETRA
Villa La Pietra
Via Bolognese, 120
50139 Firenze, Italy
A book presentation by the author Terence Ward.
Tucked in a small church in Naples hangs one of the wonders of Italian art. This altarpiece by the painter Caravaggio offers a radical and fresh take on human solidarity, the cornerstone of every faith. The unusual true story told in this book unfolds through the eyes of Angelo, who guards the painting as if it were his own. The Seven Acts of Mercy was created four hundred years ago while Caravaggio was fleeing his murder conviction and the dreaded Papal police. It carries a visionary message.
Brimming with suspense, color and contrast, the narrative follows the painter through a succession of offerings: food for the hungry, water to the thirsty, a roof for those without, clothes for the naked, care for the sick and for those behind bars, and burial for the dead.
Ward’s personal journey merges with history, memoir, and journalism. With great ease, he moves through the vertical social layers of Naples, past and present, from the most exclusive aristocratic circles to the gritty, crime-ridden quarters of the guardian’s world. The arc of this dual narrative—the artist as he feverishly paints his vision, and the guardian’s bruised life as it breaks out of darkness into light—transports the reader on a path from estrangement to grace
Museum Meetings is a cycle of conversations in art spaces dedicated to various aspects of art and museums in Florence: collecting, display, art techniques, iconography, conservation, and the role of museums in society today. The program originates from the Acton collection and expands to other art spaces in the city.