Questioni di canone: i cicli dei grandi artisti nei templi d’arte ottocenteschi

The essay traces the evolution of artist cycles in nineteenth-century museums and academies, from their German origins (the Glyptothek and the Alte Pinakothek in Munich) to their continental spread, first in France (Delaroche's Hémicycle) and then in England (South Kensington Valhalla). Italy represents a special case, because artist cycles are usually linked to the cult of local viris illustribus with strong political implications during the Risorgimento era and also after the national unification. An exceptional, little-appreciated example is the façade of the Palazzo delle Esposizioni in Rome.