Giuseppe De Nittis Art Gallery: a journey through the elegance of painting

There are museums that house works of art, and then there are museums that tell stories.

The Pinacoteca Giuseppe De Nittis, in the heart of Barletta, is one of those places where you go in to see paintings… and come out feeling like you’ve really met an artist.

Housed in the magnificent Palazzo della Marra, the Pinacoteca is a treasure of Puglia and a must-see for lovers of 19th-century art.

Above all, it is a living place, where the figure of De Nittis is not celebrated with detachment, but reinterpreted, rediscovered, and brought back to the present.

Giuseppe De Nittis Art Gallery: a journey into the elegance of painting

It all began with an extraordinary gesture.

In 1913, Léontine Lucile Gruvelle, wife and muse of Giuseppe De Nittis, decided to donate an exceptional collection of works to her husband’s hometown: paintings, drawings, engravings, and studies.

It was a bold choice for the time, demonstrating not only her affection for her late husband, but also an international vision of art.

In her will, Léontine wrote that these works should “be distributed to museums in Italy and abroad, for the greater glory of their compatriot.”

Today, that wish lives on in the Pinacoteca di Barletta, which is not a dusty museum, but a bridge between southern Italy and the art world of Europe.

From the new layout to the rediscovery of De Nittis

The redesign project, curated by art historian Renato Miracco in 2020, has given new life to the permanent collection.

The goal? To reinterpret the work of Giuseppe De Nittis not as a simple historical memory, but as a voice that is still relevant today, capable of dialoguing with our times.

The 17 rooms of the exhibition, divided thematically, unfold an engaging, exciting, and refined narrative.

Each room is designed to immerse visitors in the painter’s world: the colors of the walls echo his palette, the captions intertwine history and anecdotes, and the works speak to each other and to us.

De Nittis: a European artist told with a global perspective

The Pinacoteca highlights the international dimension of De Nittis, an artist who lived between Paris (the capital of art) and London (the economic capital of the world), interacting with figures such as Degas, Manet, Caillebotte, and Tissot.

Some sections of the museum juxtapose his works with those of his contemporaries, creating illuminating comparisons.

Other rooms display reproductions of paintings now preserved in the world’s most prestigious museums, such as the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, the MET – Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, Ca’Pesaro – the International Gallery of Modern Art in Venice, and the Piceni Collection in Milan.

This is a way of presenting a complete and in-depth image of the artist, without geographical limits.

An art gallery that creates an emotional and educational narrative

A visit to the art gallery is not only a visual experience but also an immersive narrative.

Each section is designed to appeal to everyone, from art lovers to the simply curious.

The narrative is layered, enriched with anecdotes, comparisons, and suggestions, allowing visitors to discover De Nittis as a man, a traveler, and an observer of the modern world.

There is also emotion: that which arises from seeing the delicate pastels, the dynamic urban views, the refined portraits, and the landscapes bathed in light.

Everything contributes to making us feel closer to an artist who, starting from Barletta, became a leading figure in European painting in the late 19th century.

Giuseppe De Nittis was described by Alexandre Dumas fils as “torn from life in his prime, in full love, in full glory. Like heroes and demigods.”

Indeed, walking through the rooms of the museum, one perceives that sense of light glory, that refined and never ostentatious beauty that makes his art so contemporary.

A beauty that belongs not only to Barletta, but to the whole world, and which the city proudly preserves, inviting every visitor to discover it, perhaps for the first time.

If you loved the delicacy of Giovanni Boldini’s works or the light in The Rowers’ Breakfast by Renoir, Giuseppe De Nittis will win you over.

I recommend adding the Pinacoteca Giuseppe De Nittis in Barletta to your itinerary for your next trip to Puglia.

And if you’ve already been there… maybe it’s the perfect time to go back.