FONDAZIONE
BOSCHI DI STEFANO ARCHIVES
The M. P. Garberi Collection
The Foundation preserves a vast section of the personal archive of Mercedes Precerutti Garberi (1927–2007), an authoritative art historian and Director of Milan’s Civic Art Collections.
This collection comprises approximately 50 boxes and over 22 binders, rich in invaluable unpublished materials. These include photographs of installations, art catalogues, manuscripts, notes, and correspondence with scholars and art galleries. These documents allow for the reconstruction of the critical methodologies employed by the art historian in curating some of the most important museum installations and exhibitions in Milan.
Mercedes Precerutti Garberi, a prominent figure in Milan’s artistic and museum landscape, directed and curated highly significant exhibitions, including the first exhibition of the Boschi Di Stefano collection in 1974. She is also credited with the establishment of the Civic Museum of Contemporary Art (CIMAC) in Milan, which provided a new impetus for the appreciation of 20th-century art.
The Garberi Collection remains a vibrant resource, constantly consulted by art historians, scholars, and enthusiasts keen to delve into and reconstruct the history and evolution of art in Milan from an inside perspective.
The L. Bortolon Collection
Since 2009, the Foundation has also preserved the precious archival collection of Liana Bortolon (1923–2020), a respected journalist and art critic.
This extensive archive, consisting of 290 units, offers a unique overview of the fundamental stages of Liana Bortolon’s journalistic and public outreach activities.
The thematic arrangement of the units provides a deep dive into the research process that led to the drafting of articles and columns for prominent periodicals such as «Gente», «Grazia», and «Panorama», as well as for the publication of important art criticism texts. Among the documents are correspondences with key figures in the art scene, including Ennio Morlotti and Giorgio de Chirico, and a significant photographic core capturing the journalist alongside intellectuals, artists, and family members.
These materials therefore represent an invaluable source for anyone wishing to thoroughly explore the dynamics of Liana Bortolon’s journalistic research and the relationships and dialogues that animated the Italian art environment of the 20th century.
The G. Grossi Collection
Further enriching the Foundation’s heritage is the archive dedicated to the painter Giannino Grossi (1889–1969), composed of over 40 units including photographs, documents, drawings, and exquisite painted ceramics.
This highly unique collection allows for a step-by-step reconstruction of the artist’s creative journey. The correspondences between photographs, transparencies, sketches, and works on ceramic reveal in detail the genesis of his production, unveiling his processes and insights.
In addition to the relationship between materials and techniques, the archive also preserves valuable documents and images that reconstruct Giannino Grossi’s biographical and artistic profile, offering scholars and enthusiasts the opportunity to immerse themselves in his story.
The collectors and the School of Ceramics
A final core of archival materials of extraordinary value recounts a portion of the history of the married couple, Antonio Boschi and Marieda Di Stefano.
The Foundation houses fascinating Super 8 films, which capture the couple on their travels in Italy and abroad, offering authentic glimpses into their lives and memories of the Boschi Di Stefano family.
In addition, there is a rich collection of materials, both physical and digital – including press reviews, photographs, and invitations – that document the activities of the Ceramics School, founded by Marieda Di Stefano within their residence at via Jan 15, which is now the site of the Casa Museo and the Foundation.