A documentary in cinemas and on TV, featuring Art-Test
Two emigrants who found success far from home: Berenson and Lotto, who, in turn, brought success to one another. Because, of course, there are trends in art too—and influencers have always existed.
Bernard Berenson was born in Lithuania in 1865, but during his childhood, his family emigrated to Boston, where he studied and eventually graduated from Harvard. Soon after, he moved to Europe to continue his studies—first in literature, then in art—and quickly rose to become the foremost authority on Italian art. His opinion on a painting’s authorship became decisive. He advised major American collectors, from Isabella Stewart Gardner to Henry Walters.
He fell in love with—and made others fall in love with—the Old Masters and Renaissance painters, who became highly sought-after.
This was perhaps most true in the case of Lorenzo Lotto, a painter who had largely been forgotten until he was “rediscovered” by Berenson. Berenson studied him intensely. In his youth, he had once written to his beloved sister Senda: “If I were an artist, I would be like Lotto.”
Lotto was born in Venice but quickly realized he had to leave La Serenissima. Competition was fierce, with Titian reigning supreme. Lotto sought opportunities elsewhere, working throughout northern and central Italy. He did not always have an easy life, and we can still learn about his thoughts and struggles through the letters and documents preserved in archives and libraries.
The documentary “Lotto and Berenson: Intertwined Destinies. The Rediscovery of a Master of the Italian Renaissance” traces this long journey, beginning in the galleries of the Sforza Castle’s Pinacoteca in Milan.
As part of the production, the crew also visited Art-Test, to talk not only about Lotto and Berenson, but also about modern methods of studying and attributing paintings. Did Berenson use any science to support his attributions?
Watch it and let us know what you think!
Lotto and Berenson: Intertwined Destinies. The Rediscovery of a Master of the Italian Renaissance
A film by Simona Risi, written by Didi Gnocchi and Arianna Marelli for 3D Produzioni
- First screening: June 6th, out of competition at the Milano Film Festival
- Second screening: June 11th at the Accademia Carrara in Bergamo
- TV broadcast: Scheduled for June 12th at 9:15 PM on Sky Arte
