Educational Media Reviews Online

Behind a Portrait: The Italian Treasures from Accademia Carrara invites its viewers for a tour behind the scenes of the 2015 re-opening of the Academia Carrara. In showing the Accademia’s stunning portraits and the people who care for them, the film personalizes the Accademia and shares an Italian museum that may be lesser known to viewers.

Giacomo Carrara established the Accademia Carrara following his death in 1796. Then, as today, the Accademia is both museum and academy of art. Some of those contributing their work to this unique place include the caretaker who attended school only until the age of fourteen, his daughter who as a child accompanied her father on night walks through the museum, and the art handler who moves and installs the museum’s masterpieces. The dedication shown by these employees, and also by the Accademia’s students and teachers, shows a sense of community in this facet of the art world.

Various montages of the museums’ portraits, including those created by Raphael and Bellini, are given context by the Accademia’s curators. These scenes provide succinct evidence of what makes the Accademia’s portraits unique. Behind a Portrait: The Italian Treasures from Accademia Carrara is recommended for libraries supporting Art History, Museum Studies, and research in cultural heritage.

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