L’archivio di un ‘self-made man’ dell’Ottocento. Santo Varni scultore, collezionista e conoscitore

Raffaella Fontanarossa

doi:10.6092/issn.2240-3604/11694

The Archive of a 19th-Century Self-Made Man. Santo Varni Sculptor, Collector and 'Connoisseur'

Authors

Raffaella Fontanarossa University of Bologna

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.6092/issn.2240-3604/11694

Keywords:

Santo Varni, Connoisseurship, Collecting, Museology, Giovan Battista Cavalcaselle

Abstract

Following the discovery of a fundamental part of his archives, it is now possible to review the eclectic figure of Santo Varni (1807-1885). Known as a skilled sculptor, Santo Varni was also a collector, connoisseur, advisor, merchant, superintendent, and «restorer». His ingenious and multifaceted personality is documented starting from the archival papers he preserved and catalogued.