Piazza del Duomo a Milano

For Museo Segreto, the Pompeo Mariani Archive exhibits a work that narrates the lively city life in the heart of Milan, in Piazza del Duomo, during the year of the International Exhibition in Milan in 1906.
The brushstrokes capture some interesting details, such as the monument erected for Vittorio Emanuele II, and in the background, the colonnade of the Galleria dedicated to him. In the foreground, our gaze is drawn to the swiftly passing figures, perhaps bent by the wind. The composition immerses us in a temporal event that will soon unfold amidst the tumultuous movement of modernity.
The suggestion conveyed by Pompeo Mariani in the painting brings to life the exhilarating endeavor of the International Exhibition of 1906, the same atmosphere that, after one hundred and twenty years, the reintroduces on the occasion of the city Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.
Additionally, a beautiful ink and pencil study on paper is presented, a sketch that showcases Pompeo Mariani's talent for quick notes en plein air.