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ArtLogia

Photo: Jean-Christophe BENOIST, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

About the museum

The story of the Pinacoteca di Brera

The Pinacoteca di Brera is in the Palazzo di Brera in Milan, where it was founded alongside the Academy of Fine Arts in 1776. Napoleon's reforms filled it with altarpieces from churches across northern Italy, and it opened in 1809.

It is one of the great collections of Italian painting, with Mantegna, Piero della Francesca, Raphael, Caravaggio and Hayez.

The collection

Brera's collection was formed largely from paintings removed from churches and monasteries in northern Italy under Napoleon, when Milan was capital of the Kingdom of Italy. It is strongest in Venetian and Lombard painting.

Its masterpieces include Mantegna's Lamentation over the Dead Christ, Piero della Francesca's Brera Altarpiece, Raphael's Marriage of the Virgin, Bellini's Pietà, Caravaggio's Supper at Emmaus and Francesco Hayez's The Kiss.

At ArtLogia you can order 91 of its paintings as hand-painted reproductions, by 61 artists led by Francesco Hayez, Lorenzo Lotto and Andrea Mantegna.

paintings to order
91
artists
61
art movements
12
years covered
1320–1915

The building

The Palazzo di Brera was built in the seventeenth century as a Jesuit college by Francesco Maria Richini. Its arcaded courtyard holds Canova's bronze statue of Napoleon as Mars the Peacemaker.

Masterpieces to see

Planning a visit

The surrounding Brera district, with its narrow streets and cafés, is one of Milan's most pleasant areas to explore.

Hand-painted in oil

Famous paintings from the Pinacoteca di Brera

Each reproduction is painted by hand by a professional artist, following the original's composition, colour and brushwork. Choose your size, and have it rolled, stretched or framed.

91 paintings

Filters

Filters

Colour

Artists in the collection

Pinacoteca di Brera: frequently asked questions

Where is Hayez's The Kiss?

Francesco Hayez's The Kiss (1859) is in the Pinacoteca di Brera in Milan.

Is The Last Supper in the Brera?

No. Leonardo's Last Supper is a wall painting in the refectory of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan, a separate site that must be booked in advance.

What is Mantegna's Dead Christ?

Mantegna's Lamentation over the Dead Christ shows Christ's body in daring foreshortening, seen from the feet. It is in the Pinacoteca di Brera.

Where is the Pinacoteca di Brera?

The Pinacoteca di Brera is in Milan, Italy. You can find opening hours and tickets on the museum's official website.

What are the most famous paintings at the Pinacoteca di Brera?

Its best-known paintings include The Kiss (Hayez), Lamentation over the Dead Christ, The Marriage of the Virgin. ArtLogia offers 91 hand-painted reproductions of works from its collection.

When was the Pinacoteca di Brera founded?

The Pinacoteca di Brera dates from 1776. See the history above for how its collection grew.

Is the Pinacoteca di Brera one of the best museums in the world?

Yes. It ranks number 35 in our list of the 100 best art museums in the world, ranked by the famous paintings in their collections.

Can I buy a reproduction of a painting from the Pinacoteca di Brera?

Yes. Paintings such as The Marriage of the Virgin and Portrait of Moise Kiesling can be ordered as hand-painted oil reproductions on canvas, in any size, rolled, stretched or framed, with free worldwide shipping.

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