The Estorick Collection is housed in a beautiful Georgian building previously known as Northampton Lodge, in Islington in London. It was the Estoricks’ son Michael who suggested buying Northampton Lodge to house the family’s collection of Italian art which comprises some of the most significant names including Modigliani, de Chirico and Boccioni. Its renovation was planned and overseen by architect Nathaniel Gee, and funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Running until 30th April 2023 and to mark the collection’s 25th anniversary, the museum hosts a major exhibition dedicated to Italian legendary artist Giorgio Morandi featuring rare paintings, etchings, watercolours and works on paper spanning his entire career. For the first time, the entire collection of 50 paintings and works on paper from the Magnani-Rocca Foundation is on view at The Estorick Collection.

Eric Estorick first met the artist around 1950 and remembered him as being “a most approachable person. At least, he was always very kind to me”. Indeed, Morandi even gave Estorick a proof of his first etching, The Bridge over the Savena in Bologna (1912). The exhibition presents two cabinets with personal letters demonstrating his friendship with Estorick and his pursuits of artistic greatness.

By 1920, Morandi established the small-scale depictions of still lifes and landscapes that he would pursue throughout his oeuvre, and that were associated with no other school or style but his own. Except for Summer holiday spent in the village of Grizzana, he lived and worked exclusively at his home on via Fondazza in his native Bologna. As Morandi once said, “One can travel the world and see nothing. To achieve understanding it is necessary not to see many things, but to look hard at what you do see.”

Luigi Magnani (1906-1984) was one of Morandi’s most prominent patrons too and a close personal friend. Having first seen his work in 1939, he was introduced to the artist the following year by the critic Cesare Brandi. The first pieces acquired by Magnani were three etchings given to him by the artist shortly after their first meeting. Over the following 20 years he went on to acquire works spanning Morandi’s entire career.

Highlights in this fantastic exhibition features a Still Life from 1936, the perfect example of the meditative approach the artist adopted in depicting mundane objects. Like a chess player, he meticulously studied every possible configuration, exploring their different positions and relationship and scenario. The objects on view almost float in the air, providing the painting a metaphysical perspective characteristic of Morandi’s compositions. Tracing his inspiration, Still Life with Fruits, 1937 displayed in the first spectacular room is partly inspired by Cezanne, alongside a remarkable self-portrait showcasing the artist’s range of talents.

Several drawings and watercolours are also on display, in addition to a large number of the artist’s etchings in the upstairs galleries. Morandi’s drawings are characterised by an extreme simplicity of lines, contrasting with his beautiful etchings also on view in the show. Stunning!

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