April 30, 1932
The newly arranged and decorated Italian Hall of the Museum will be formally opened on the same date as the above two exhibitions, April 11th. Though arranged primarily as a gallery, the very nature of the palatial house of the Italian 17th century gives to the rooms some of the character of that period. The immense size of the rooms at the Museum is quite in character with the interiors of the old Palazzos where the nobles ensconced themselves surrounded by a protective ring of many retainers and courtiers.
The Italian collections were founded by the late A. A. Healy and expanded by the Rembrandt Club, and have been considerably enriched by Frank L. Babbott.
Many objects of prime importance are seen in the collections shown in this hall, including the very fine altar frontal of boucle velvet, the gift of the Rembrandt Club who also gave the splendid collection of velvets, brocades and embroideries. Over one of the doors is the magnificent faience relief “The Resurrection of Christ” by Giovanni Della Robbia, the gift of A. A. Healy.
The decorative arts displayed in the rooms show typical furniture with its architectural inspiration in design, and numerous examples of majolica in the best known forms and from are modern by copied from traditional motifs. The general feeling of the rooms of the period is felt in the richness of the darker colors of the furniture and background relieved by the accents of the decorative objects, the hangings and the pictures.
Brooklyn Museum Archives. Records of the Department of Public Information. Press releases, 1931 - 1936. 01-06_1932, 032. View Original
