DE
EN
artists & participants
Albert Besnard,
Giovanni Boldini,
Vittore Cargnel,
Paul Cezanne,
Gaetano Esposito,
Pietro Fragiacomo,
Giacomo Grosso,
Arthur Hughes,
Cesare Laurenti,
Frederic Leighton,
Frederic Leighton,
Leon Lhermitte,
Max Liebermann,
James McNeill Whistler,
Allessandro Milesi,
Francesco Paolo Michetti,
Julius Paulsen,
Odilon Redon,
Ernst Renan,
Medardo Rosso,
Silvio Rota,
Giovanni Segantini,
Christian Skredsvig,
Cesare Tallone,
Ettore Tito,
Domenico Trentacoste
press release
1st Venice Biennale 1895 - Opening Biennale
I. Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte della Città di Venezia
*
1895
During the winter of 1894-1895, work continued on the construction of the Palazzo dell'Esposizione (Exhibition venue) in the Giardini di Castello. The design was by the Council's architect, Enrico Trevisanato, and the neoclassical facade by Venetian artist, Marius De Maria. Its name was initially "Pro Arte" and was subsequently changed to "Italia". On 30th April, the I Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte della Città di Venezia (1st International Art Exhibition of the City of Venice) was opened in the presence of the King and Queen, Umberto I and Margherita di Savoia. The exhibition met with great public acclaim (224,000 visitors).
1894
In the council meeting of 30th March, the first decisions were taken: to adopt a 'by invitation' system; to reserve a section of the Exhibition for foreign artists too; to admit works by uninvited Italian artists, as selected by a jury. On 6th April, Mayor Selvatico announced the first Exhibition for the following year. On 10th April, economist and scholar Antonio Fradeletto was nominated Secretary general. The place of work was the little Council library.
1893
Headed by its mayor, Riccardo Selvatico, the Venetian City Council passed a resolution on 19th April to set up an Esposizione biennale artistica nazionale (biennial exhibition of Italian art), to be inaugurated on 22nd April 1894.