Self-portrait (Betto Tesei)

1935

Born in 1898, Betto Tesei was the son of Aristide, the person who purchased Palazzo Pianetti in 1901, and studied in Urbino and in Rome before finally settling in Palazzo Pianetti, where he lived and worked for the rest of his life. His poetics has its origin in the national movement of the Italian Novecento, even if the Jesi-born artist especially focused on highlighting small things and figurative art in a context that was profoundly marked by the surge of avant-garde movements. A close-up portrait of the artist’s face, the work stands out not only for the clever look in his eyes but also, and mainly, because of the attentive and profound care that he puts into portraying the figure.

Technical info

Original title	Self-portrait (Betto Tesei)
Type	Opera d'arte contemporanea
Collection	Contemporary Art Gallery
Technique	Oil on canvas
Measurements	cm. 60x50
Placement	Palazzo Pianetti Civic Museums Floor: Second floor - Contemporary Art Gallery Exhibition area: State room with fireplace

The artwork in the museum

Collections

Contemporary Art Gallery

The Contemporary Art Gallery hosted on this floor mainly consists of works by artists active from the end of the 19th century to date. The paintings displayed in the first rooms bear witness to local painting in the early 19th century, when the pictorial culture was still closely linked to the artistic heritage from the late 19th century. Among the first painters that we see displayed are Luigi Amici and Leopoldo Battistini, respectively members of the Realist school of sculpture and painting. The antechamber displays works that were purchased by the Administration following the 1981 “Ruota del Lotto” contest that aimed at reinterpreting the paintings of the great 16th century painter Lorenzo Lotto according to contemporary canons. The artists who took part in the contest included Notargiacomo, Galliani, Pistoletto, Giandonato and Ontani, who presented works of their own inspired by the masterpieces of Lorenzo Lotti present in the Marche Region. Most of the collection consists of works purchased following the “Rosa Papa Tamburi” Prize, a biannual Contemporary Art award launched by the Jesi-born artist Orfeo Tamburi which, through the collaboration with great Italian artists from the second half of the 20th century, made the creation of this Gallery possible.