Staging Italian Artworks at the 1900 Paris Universal Exhibition for the Benefit of a Transnational Art Market

The essay discusses the climate of revival in late nineteenth century Europe, wherein Renaissance art acquired a leading role linked to the establishment and identity of the modern nation-state. On the basis of incoming correspondence and staff reports to the Florentine art dealer Stefano Bardini (1836–1922), it examines the display and exhibition strategies for the decorative arts at the 1900 Paris Universal Exposition, a key event for promoting countries’ achievements involving a widespread, international network of players. Featuring an approach similar to that followed by other nations, the Italian Kingdom vaunted its glorious past to promote the relevance of its contemporary industry in a broader international context. The Italian Pavilion borrowed details from the tradition of Venetian architecture, which epitomized the true Italian spirit and historical identity. Thus visitors could inhabit an environment in which new products were set in the context of a glorious past, conjured not only by the architectural language of the pavilion, but by its colorful mosaics and paintings. New products imitated historical styles for which there was ongoing market demand. In turn, these replicas fed the growing international demand in what was in effect the secondary market, with cheaper copies supplanting pricier originals. Archival material demonstrates Bardini’s efforts to advantageously establish his name on an international scale and to secure a suitable location for displaying his collection at the Paris Universal Exposition. One comes to understand Bardini’s organizational efforts to operate across distances, and the way his staff negotiated a suitable location, discussed display options and provided measurements through reliable sketches.Though the Italian Pavilion was considered Bardini’s first choice, in the end, a convenient location was secured at the Palais de la Femme. Photographs attest to how he displayed Medieval and Renaissance items, which appealed to the then sensibilities of nineteenth century collectors’ taste. Bardini’s exhibition became a true center of attraction for notable dealers, art connoisseurs, and collectors. In the end, the essay brings to light the art market’s professional networks, the many different strategies that were deployed for securing suitable customers and purchasers and their importance for broadly disseminating culture.