XVII - Master Paintings - Jean Luc Baroni and Marty de Cambiaire
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Molteni had begun his artistic training at the Brera<br />
Aca<strong>de</strong>my but his lack of financial security lead to his<br />
move to Bologna where he became a pupil of the<br />
picture restorer Giuseppe Guizzardi. On returning<br />
to Milan, parallel to his painting career, he quickly<br />
became established as a sought-after specialist in<br />
conservation, acting as a consultant to the Louvre <strong>and</strong><br />
to the British Museum as well as to leading collectors<br />
<strong>and</strong> connoisseurs.<br />
In 1837, Molteni travelled to Vienna to paint the<br />
portrait of Emperor Ferdin<strong>and</strong> I. There he discovered the<br />
Bie<strong>de</strong>rmeier style, which had become very fashionable<br />
in Austria, <strong>and</strong> met Nazarene painters Johann Friedrich<br />
Overbeck <strong>and</strong> Friedrich von Amerling, whose works he<br />
highly admired. During the 1840s Molteni concentrated<br />
on painting scenes of contemporary everyday life in a<br />
slightly looser style. These works proved extremely<br />
popular with both critics <strong>and</strong> collectors. In 1854,<br />
however, Molteni was appointed curator of the Brera<br />
Aca<strong>de</strong>my <strong>and</strong> with this en<strong>de</strong>d his career as a painter.<br />
par manque <strong>de</strong> moyens financiers il déménagea à<br />
Bologne où il <strong>de</strong>vint l’élève du restaurateur <strong>de</strong> tableau,<br />
Giuseppe Guizzardi. De retour à Milan, parallèlement<br />
à sa carrière <strong>de</strong> peintre, il fut rapi<strong>de</strong>ment considéré<br />
comme un spécialiste recherché <strong>de</strong> la conservation,<br />
travaillant parfois comme conseiller auprès du musée<br />
du Louvre et du British Museum ainsi qu’auprès<br />
d’importants collectionneurs et amateurs.<br />
En 1837, il voyagea à Vienne pour réaliser le portrait<br />
<strong>de</strong> l’empereur Ferdin<strong>and</strong> I er . Là, il découvrit le style<br />
Bie<strong>de</strong>rmeier alors en pleine vogue et rencontra les<br />
peintres nazaréens, Johann Friedrich Overbeck et<br />
Friedrich von Amerling, dont il admira beaucoup<br />
les œuvres. Dans les années 1840, il se consacra<br />
à la réalisation <strong>de</strong> scènes <strong>de</strong> la vie contemporaine<br />
et populaire dans un style plus relâché. Ces œuvres<br />
furent très appréciées <strong>de</strong>s collectionneurs comme <strong>de</strong><br />
la critique. En 1854, cependant, Molteni fut nommé<br />
conservateur <strong>de</strong> la Pinacoteca di Brera et ab<strong>and</strong>onna<br />
sa carrière <strong>de</strong> peintre.<br />
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