Rossana Bossaglia (Belluno, 1925 – Varzi (PV) 2013) graduated in Medieval Art History at University of Pavia with a dissertation about Gothic architecture in Piemonte under the guide of Wart Arslan and obtained the degree of actress at Filodrammatici Academy in Milan.
She was full professor of Modern Art History at University of Pavia, after being professor of Art Criticism at University of Genoa.
Her first essays treated Medieval Art, then she aroused her interest in studies on the Eighteenth Century in Lombardia with various contributes and the extraordinary exhibition in 1991, organized inside Palazzo Reale in Milan with the help of Valerio Terraroli.
Since the Sixties, her favourite research field was the Liberty, with a particular attention on Decorative Arts and Architecture, publishing essential texts like the first Italian monography about this topic (Il Liberty in Italia, 1968) and curating seminars ( like Città termali in 1981) and exhibitions both in Italy and abroad. For instance, we remember here the exhibition in 1972 at La Permanente in Milan, then other exhibitions related to that at Modern Art Gallery in Bologna in 1977, and Villa Malpensata in Lugano in 1981. She also curated some monographic exhibitions, like the one dedicated to the small bronze liberty (Padova, 1982), Raimondo D’Aronco (Udine, 1982) and Leonardo Bistolfi (Casale Monferrato, 1984).
At the same time, she conducted some innovative researches on international Déco and on Italian Novecento, and some researches on problems related to Taste evolution and style between Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries, on Eclecticism and Neo-Gothic Art, the spread of Orientalism and cemeterial sculpture.
Since the Sixties, she was interested in Contemporary Art as critic and as creator of exhibitions and manifestations. Since 1974, she collaborated with Corriere della Sera.
She obtained various prizes like “Premio Nuova Antologia” and “Premio Imola”.
Painting: Edoardo Salvestrini, Portait of Rossana Bossaglia (detail), 2009, oli on canvas, 60×50 cm.