Five Must See Works of Art in Naples
Andy Warhol, Mount Vesuvius, 1985, Museo Capodimonte
“I won’t say another word about the beauties of the city and its situation, which have been described and praised often. As they say here, “Vedi Napoli e poi muori! — See Naples and die!” One can’t blame the Neapolitan for never wanting to leave his city, nor its poets singing its praises in lofty hyperboles: it would be wonderful even if a few more Vesuviuses were to rise in the neighbourhood.”
You may come to Naples for the pizza. Or the ancient ruins. Or the volcanoes. All fine reasons. But you must not neglect the countless works of art that call the city home. Many pass through Naples on their way to the Amalfi Coast and have limited time in the city. Below, we recommend the top five mis-see works of art— all possible to visit in one day!
1) The Martyrdom of Saint Ursula
Caravaggio, Palazzo Zevallos Stigliano
This final work of Caravaggio will leave you breathless. While Napoli is happy home to three Caravaggios, this is the most precious of the sacred bunch. The painting, in its typically chiaroscuro style depicts the legend of Saint Ursula, as she and her eleven thousand virgin companions, were captured and murdered by invading Huns. Caravaggio painted the work in Naples in 1610 before fleeing to Malta after killing yet another man. He was actually an outlaw in Naples when he painted Saint Ursula, and how fortunate humanity we are to have this final testament to his artistic genius.
2) The Veiled Christ
Giuseppe Sammartino, Cappella Sansevero
Considered one of the world’s most mesmerizing sculptures, this shrouded representation of Christ at his death is simply divine. Intricate folds of gossamer thin marble shroud the astoundingly life-like face of Christ. According to legend, the renowned scientist and alchemist Raimondo di Sangro, who commissioned the sculpture, taught the sculptor, Giuseppe Sammartino how to transform cloth into marble, resulting in an alchemical "marblification.”
3) Ave Ovo
Francesco Clemente, MADRE
A native son of Naples, the Neo-Expressionist artist Francesco Clemente created this permanent installation at the Museo d'Arte Contemporanea Donnaregina (MADRE). The name of the work, Ave Ovo (Egg), is a nod to the historic significance of the egg in the formation of old Napoli. According to legend, Virgil place a golden egg in the foundation of Castel dell’Ovo, Egg Castle. From Majolica tiles to renderings of the bones of the Fontanella Ossuary, Clemente combines the many symbolic tropes of Naples to form this evocative work.
4) Mount Vesuvius
Andy Warhol, Museo e Real Bosco di Capodimonte
The prince of pop art briefly lived in Naples in 1985. While in Naples, Vesuvius enchanted Warhol such that he painted a series of 18 renderings of the active volcano in vivid mid-eruption colors. One of the works remains in a public collection Naples. Warhol was fascinated by the iconic volcano, once stating in an interview with Michele Bonuomo, “An eruption is an overwhelming image, an extraordinary happening and even a great piece of sculpture.” Sister paintings of this Capidomente based work form a veritable Vesuvian diaspora in private and permanent collections across the world.
5) The Cuciniello Nativity
Michele Cuciniello, Certosa di San Martino
Intricately carved nativity scene are a signature of Neapolitan folkloric traditions. The most remarkable among them is this Cuciniello Nativity house in the spectacular San Martino cloisters in the hilltop neighborhood of Vomero. There are 173 people, seven pigs, one rabbit, two monkeys, 42 angels, ten horses and over three hundred small decor items in the wood carved Nativity. In an interview for the Jesuit’s magazine “La Civiltà Cattolica”, the president of the Neapolitan Nativity Association, Adriana Bezzi explained that Neapolitan 18th-century nativities are able to tell the story of the birth of Jesus like a miracle, a glimpse of heaven that appears in the dullness of daily life. Peer into this bit of firmament when you venture to upper Naples.
