Pinacoteca Alberto Martini
The Pinacoteca Alberto Martini occupies the top floor of Palazzo Foscolo, a fine late 16th-century building in the tradition of the Venetian villas, the rich Sansovino-style stuccowork of which, together with the procession of first-floor portals, has been attributed to Alessandro Vittoria (Trento 1524 - Vicenza 1608). Since 1997, Palazzo Foscolo has also accommodated the Oderzo Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Painting (GAMCO). The creation of the Pinacoteca Alberto Martini coincides with the anthological exhibition of his works that Oderzo organised in 1967. On that occasion, Maria Petringa, the artist’s widow, made a donation of his Self-portrait (1911), which thus became the first precious work and cornerstone of the collection. A few years later, other pieces were added, and in 1970 the Town Council officially founded the Alberto Martini Art Gallery. In time, further generous bequests (from Petringa once more, then Anderloni and Tischer, Martini’s heirs and Fondazione Oderzo Cultura ONLUS) increased the collection, which today numbers 700 works. Characterized by a theory of subtle and elegant lecterns in steel and glass, the new art itinerary created in 2006 means to illustrate the artist and the man. The most important cycles of work of graphic art on paper are collected and shown along the rooms, while, on the walls, many of the painted masterpieces belonging to the most important creative periods are combined with some aesthetic considerations and thoughts taken from his autobiographical manuscript ”Vita d’artista“(1939-1940). A big show case, in the entry hall, collects and exposes some of the numerous documents, letters and objects coming from his personal archive (AMART, available here).
