Giuseppe Nuvolone at Palazzo Arese Borromeo

The magnificent Palazzo Arese Borromeo complex in Cesano Maderno is primarily the result of the architectural and decorative vision of its owner, Bartolomeo III Arese (1610-1674), a prominent figure in the Habsburg court and also the patron of the two large family palaces in Milan located on Corso Magenta. The Palace’s lavish interior décor, evident in its profusion of frescoes and the exquisite art collection once housed within its halls, showcases the work of numerous artists, including the Montaltos, Ercole Procaccini the Younger, Federico Bianchi, Giovan Battista Costa, Antonio Busca, and Giuseppe Nuvolone. Despite the individual differences among these artists, the commission for the Cesano palace evolved into a genuine collaborative effort, where all participants embraced a unified, fully Baroque style. This style is marked by its airy compositions and rich, solemn narrative, perfectly suited to the tastes of the patron’s cultured intellectual circle and the many guests who frequented the palace, including the writer Carlo Maria Maggi, who collaborated on composing many of the verses that accompany the frescoes.

The Nuvolone, often traditionally referred to simply as “Panfilo” by historians and collectors, were actually a family of painters who dominated the Milanese art scene for nearly a century: the father, Panfilo, started the flourishing workshop, building its success primarily on still life painting, before making way for his numerous sons. Little is known about Michelangelo, the eldest and stylistically closest to his father, or Giovanni Battista, the youngest, who mainly focused on portraiture. Better known, however, are Carlo Francesco, credited with the development and growth of the family business, and Giuseppe, who unfortunately was long remembered merely as his brother’s follower, to the extent that critics historically assessed his art only in comparison to Carlo Francesco’s works.
Although he did indeed grow up in his brother’s shadow, Giuseppe did not simply become a faithful imitator. From a young age, he displayed a strong, independent artistic personality, revealing a decisive temperament and a marked preference for lively, highly pleasing narratives, in contrast to his brother’s pensive and nostalgic atmospheres. The careers of the two brothers developed, especially in the first half of the 17th century, along parallel and overlapping paths: while Carlo Francesco was still tied to Mannerist reminiscences, Giuseppe sought instead to emphasize the solidity of figures, venturing into composing grand Baroque scenes that were still unusual for Northern Italy.

They often worked together on commissions for churches in Milan and Lombardy, so much so that today it is difficult to attribute these works definitively to one brother or the other: their style was characterized by light, airy colors and the use of new iconographies and subjects (such as the figure of the guardian angel), which they offered to religious orders, emphasizing the deeply affective nature of the sacred scenes to reveal the more human and emotional side of faith. The two Nuvolone brothers also collaborated on the frescoes for the chapels of the Sacro Monte d’Orta, after Carlo Francesco had already worked at the Sacro Monte di Varese. Through the stories painted there, dedicated to Saint Francis of Assisi, their model of sacred subjects with a human dimension became even more compelling, and the hands of the two brothers merged in a rare artistic understanding that continued for many years.

Following the death of Carlo Francesco in 1661, Giuseppe, by then in his forties, took charge of the family workshop, handling numerous sacred and secular commissions across the vast territory between Lombardy and Piedmont. His distinctly modern style successfully blended Lombard and Emilian tastes, incorporating influences from painting in Genoa and Venice, while also reflecting the extensive cultural exchanges with Spain. His journey to Rome in 1667 was pivotal during this period. There, he witnessed the flourishing of fully Baroque architecture and painting and encountered firsthand the works of great figures like Bernini and Borromini, exposing him to narrative approaches entirely different from the somber, austere style of Catholic Reformation Lombardy.

When Giuseppe returned to Milan, the experience he gained through contact with classical culture and ancient history was put to use for Bartolomeo Arese. He created several frescoes in Arese’s residence in Cesano Maderno, working alongside numerous other painters.

The first Nuvolone fresco visitors encounter is in the “Hall of Semele”: access our smartphone audio guide by scanning the QR code to delve deeper into the painting’s different layers of meaning and its artistic value.

This wing of the Palace also houses the “Nymphaeum”, a small area entirely decorated with black and white river pebble mosaics forming elegant, typically Baroque designs.

It is one of the Palace’s iconic features, and to appreciate it fully, you can access the QR code for related extra content. Nuvolone is credited with the fresco in the central medallion, depicting “Charity Moderated by Temperance”.

The tour continues by backtracking through the Hall of Semele and then turning left into the spectacular Gallery of the Centaurs.

After the Gallery, you will find yourself in a small square room: the “Hall of the Titans”.
Although some critics still debate the attribution, the scene of the “Assault of the Giants on Olympus” is also considered a work of Nuvolone’s mastery.
Access our audio guide to learn more.

All the subjects depicted in these paintings, regardless of the specific mythological stories or related allegories, point to a common intention pursued throughout the Palace’s interior decoration: the perfect harmony between classical themes and allegorical meanings linked to the glory of the House of Arese and its closely related family branches, especially the Borromeos. Furthermore, the frescoes in these rooms are laden with specific, sometimes cryptic, references and allusions to the patron Bartolomeo Arese’s role as a diplomat and supporter of the Spanish monarchy, as well as his extraordinary love for the study of ancient sciences and literature. Political concerns, family glory, and a keen interest in culture thus merge within the palace, creating an incredibly rich painted iconography whose full implications scholars are still investigating.
His work in Cesano led Giuseppe to reflect on the reinterpretation of antiquity as an essential quality of painting, not only for mythological subjects but also as a key to renewing sacred art. Indeed, after leaving Palazzo Arese Borromeo, he found no shortage of patrons in the Lombardy region. Until the end of his career, he continued to create altarpieces for Brescia and its valleys, and new paintings for the cities of Cremona and Piacenza. His highly personal interpretation of the Baroque style was characterized by a vein of originality and ease that served as a model for all artists of subsequent generations.