IL QUARTO STATO. Cronaca di un acquisto

An online exhibition on Google Art & Culture celebrates 100 years of public crowdfunding.

In 2020, the Museo del Novecento celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the purchase of the iconic work “Il Quarto Stato” by Giuseppe Pellizza da Volpedo, today exhibited in a dedicated space, designed by Italo Rota & Fabio Fornasari, which brings the visitors to the visit of museum.

Museum as an early example of crowdfunding, the large painting tells the story that runs through the passions and ideals of the time when it was made, the styles of the Twentieth Century, as well as the author's private life. The Quarto Stato reachess Milan in May 1920 at the Lino Pesaro Art Gallery, within the context of a a solo show dedicated to Pellizza da Volpedo and curated by Ugo Ojetti, Corriere della Sera’s art critic. This exhibition represents the exit from oblivion of the masterpiece, initially conceived for the Turin Universal Exposition of 1902, which was not purchased by the royal family because of the theme of a radical social impact.The exhibition in Milan, beingthe socialist Emilio Caldara the Mayor, had great success and helped indeed the process of towards the direction of its purchase in public collections.

To learn more, visit the online exhibition on Google Art & Culture.

Or watch the video “1920. Chronicle of a purchase ", produced by the City of Milan - Museo del Novecento with Storyville and the Pellizza da Volpedo Association, introduced by the Mayor of Milan Giuseppe Sala. Thanks to the archival research of original materials and documents, the video shows the broad acceptance of the project by the world of culture, the wealthy bourgeoisie of the city and the many citizens who linked their names to an iconic masterpiece that has become part of collective memory. 

Here you can discover the details of masterpiece.