www.MuseoArteScienza.com (last update: 13/01/2010)

Fond. Gottfried Matthaes

Museo d'Arte e Scienza

The Museum is situated in an ideal position for visitors to Milan. Not only is it in the centre of the modern city, with its shop-lined streets, close to the fashion district and the famous Brera quarter. But it is also in the ancient city centre, with its tangle of streets harking back to Roman times, its centuries-old churches and its aristocratic palaces with their hidden courtyards waiting to be discovered, like the Bonacossa Palace, site of the Museo d’Arte e Scienza.

Sforzesco Castle

Museum

Courtyard entrance to the Museum

THE MAIN SECTIONS OF THE MUSEUM:

  • THE DIDACTIC MUSEUM
    for telling authentic items from fakes in the various fields
    of art and antiques
 

Themes treated in the various rooms:


 Rooms 1 and 2, Leonardo Citizen of Milan.

Room 3, Scientific Laboratory.

Room 7a, Wooden objects. Room 7b, Carpets and Tapestries.

Room 8a, Excavated Ceramics.

Room 9, Paintings, Icons, Books, Art Prints, Ivory, Gemstones. Porcelain, Glass, Dolls, Pipes, Walking Sticks, Clocks and Watches, Fabrics.

Room 10, Silver and Bronzes.

Rooms 11 and 12, Treatise on Painting.

Room 13, Buddhist Art and specialized Exhibitions.

Rooms 14-18, African Art


 

 

Opening hours: Mon-Fri. 10:00-18:00

Entrance: Euro 8 - reduced Euro 4
For Information: Tel.+390272022488. Fax.+390272023156. 
e-mail: info@museoartescienza.com


to enlarge

 

Few people know !

On the lower floor of the Museum it is still possible to see the secret tunnel, built in Leonardo’s day, which led to the Sforzesco Castle.
 

Partners
 
 
 


    Rooms 1-2   -   "Leonardo Da Vinci Citizen of Milan"

An overview is given of his intense activity during the twenty years spent in Milan, the city where Leonardo gave expression to all the aspects of his universal genius.

Themes treated: Leonardo Da Vinci's activities in Milan, Leonardo ingenious painter, Leonardo expert of optics and perspective, Leonardo master of revels at the ducal court, Leonardo military engineer.

 

 

 

  
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

    Room 2  -  "The Mona Lisa"
 

THE MONA LISA’S MYSTERIOUS SMILE
In 1950, for the fifth centenary of Leonardo’s birth, the Louvre Museum, owner of 7 of his 15 paintings, organized a study of his singular painting technique. The Milanese museum, on re-examining this material, came to some interesting conclusions.

X-ray photographs normally heighten the contrasts between black and white, showing up the brushwork and the use of colours.
This is exemplified by the X-ray of Rembrandt’s self-portrait. The X-ray photograph of the Mona Lisa, instead, offers only an evanescent image below the visible layer.
 

 

 

 

The mysterious allure of Leonardo’s portraits lies, therefore, in his invisible brushwork. Leonardo applied his colours in layers that were almost imperceptible, building up layer upon layer in order to achieve the desired effect in every point of his painting. With this technique the outlines of objects and details disappear.

  

A clear demonstration of the lack of outlines is given by this enlarged photograph of the Mona Lisa’s lips. The lips with the famous smile do not exist, they are only nuances of colour.


The mystery of her smile, which has haunted generations of admirers, can be said to lie in the fact that it is not real. Its form and the emotion it elicits are a figment of the imagination of the observer.
 

The impossibility of copying Leonardo
A copyist, unable to copy this technique, can only reproduce the colours and outlines as they appear to him. The examples chosen here are the eyes and mouth of a well-executed recent copy compared with the same features of the Mona Lisa

Recent copy by F. Pari

Leonardo’s Mona Lisa

 

    Rooms 11-12   -   "Leonardo da Vinci's Treatise on Painting"

The most important articles of the Treatise on Painting, containing his ideas and advice to painters and sculptors, are explained with the help of practical examples and interactive stations.

Themes treated: sculpture and painting compared, the sculptor, faces, drapery,  bass-reliefs, light and shade in sculpture. Painting, the painter, the art of copying, colour, light and shade in painting.
 

 
 
     

End of section dedicated to Leonardo
 

 




 

Founded in 1990 as a Teaching Museum for recognizing authenticity in the field of art and antiques, the Museo d'Arte e Scienza, with its 18 rooms and new theme itineraries, aims to guide visitors on an interesting tour of authentic objects, copies and fakes. Each room is dedicated to a specific sector, ranging from furniture, tapestries, carpets, paintings and icons to excavated pottery. In addition to these broad themes, a great variety of materials are analysed including, among others, ivory, metals, glass and porcelain. For each topic, art collectors, art lovers or just curious spectators are shown how to recognize all the signs for telling authentic items from imitations with the help of tangible examples and small practical demonstrations.

  Room 7a - Themes treated: determining the authenticity of furniture, sculptures, and wooden objects.
 
 
 

  Room 7b  - Themes treated: determining the authenticity of Carpets and Tapestries.
 

 

 

  Room 8  - Themes treated: determining the authenticity of excavated pottery.
 
 
  Room 9  - Themes treated: determining the authenticity of panel and canvas paintings, icons and prints.
 

 
 
  Room 9  - Themes treated: determining the authenticity of ivory and amber objects.
 

 
    Room 9  -  Themes treated: determining the authenticity of ceramics and glass objects.
 

 
    Room 9  -  Themes treated: determining the authenticity of metal, silver, Sheffield and bronzes.
 
 

 

 

Every section has explanatory panels, written in three languages, which clearly describe the exhibited objects and the specific characteristics that the visitor must observe.

All the themes treated are also amply described in the Museum's 3-volume publication "The Art Collector's Illustrated Handbook", information on which is available on our site www.ArtAndScienceHandbook.com

 

 

 

WHAT IS MORE, in the Museum rooms there are nine interactive test stations at the disposal of visitors for simple tests for ascertaining the authenticity of antiques.

 

Test station room 7:
 identification of glues and other synthetic materials with Wood’s light

Test station room 8:
sniff test on excavated pottery

Test station room 9: test for revealing the use of plastic
 
 

Test station room 9: identification of authentic icons with Wood’s light

Test station room 9: examination with a magnifying glass of signs of wear and decorations on china

The microscope distinguishes authentic patinas and encrustations from faked ones
 
 

Optical examination of signs of wear to identify an authentic piece of silverware

Shadows reveal the industrial or handcrafted manufacture of glass

The dull sound of a porcelain item reveals hidden restoration work

 

 

 

 

    Rooms 3-3a

The Museum laboratory’s mission is to improve existing scientific methods and elaborate new methods for the ascertainment of the authenticity of art objects. The laboratory’s instruments and know-how for the determining of authenticity are at the disposal of collectors, art experts, restorers, art galleries and museums.
(The laboratory staff, who speak the main European languages, are at your disposal for any explanations).

The laboratory of the Museo d'Arte e Scienza is a non-profit facility
and is independent from every point of view.


Tests carried out by the laboratory:

Spectroscopic dating and characterization of wooden objects

Microscopic tests on paintings, antique bronzes, excavated pottery etc.

 

Examination of underlying layers using infrared reflectography

Analyses of paint layers with a duroflexometer

Analyses with Wood’s light, UV and IR

 

FURTHER ANALYSES PERFORMED IN THE LABORATORY:
 Spectroscopic chemical analyses on pigments, glues, encrustations, patinas, products of corrosion. Scientific, practical and instrumental tests of authenticity on: ivory, amber, archaeological glass, pigments, metals, stones, carpets, tapestry, prints, books, clocks and watches, china.
 

PRICES: the average cost of analyses is Euro 150 per test; some tests are conclusive in telling fakes and authentic items apart, such as wood dating and tests on the encrustations on pottery and bronzes.
 For more information contact: Dr. Chem. Peter Matthaes (laboratory director) Tel. 0039-02-72022488  -  Fax. 0039-02-72023156 -  Email: info@museoartescienza.com
 
 


    Rooms 14 -18   -  African Art

One of Italy’s major permanent exhibitions with over 300 items of high historic/artistic value which tell us what life was really like in Black Africa: the different social status of men and women, cults, masks, everyday objects, curiosities connected with the traditions of a number of tribes, and contacts with the West.

Themes treated: the world of women, dance, fertility, kitchen utensils, Yoruba twins, the wooden couple of the Baulé, Dan masks, zoomorphic and multi-faced masks.
 

 

 

 

Themes treated: the cult of the dead, oracles, the world of men, instruments of power, musical instruments, coins, the warrior, contact and reciprocal influence between African art and the West.
 

 

 

 

For more information visit: www.AfricanArtAuthenticity.com


 

    Room 13   -  Oriental Art

150 high-quality items from South-East Asia go to make up a fascinating exhibition and help an understanding of the Buddhist spirit and iconography.

Themes treated: Buddhist art of South-East Asia and minor Asian arts; stone, wood, bronze and ivory objects
 

   

 


  

An original and richly illustrated book

Main contents of the book
 The round or natural style is the most ancient Black African art style, whilst a style hailed as primitive ("abstract") could be directed at the Western market and lovers of modern painting. Of great interest might be the comments on what is judged as "colonial" and "decadent" and the concepts of "straight lines" and "rare".
Masks - Dan, Yoruba, Ibo, Songye, Ekoi, Bambara, Senufo, Fang...Helmets, Headdresses, Two-faced, Zoomorphic and Ritual Dance Masks.
Figures - Facial expressions on masks and figures; The development of Dogon art; Baule spirit spouses; Man, Woman and their different social status; Couples; Ibeji twin figures.
The cult - The fertility cult, The funeral and divination cult.
Musical instruments
Receptacles and other utensils of artistic value
Objects in bronze and other metals
The art of the Ife and Benin kingdoms
Stone figures
Terracotta figures and heads
The Authenticity of African Art - Artworks in Wood, Bronze, Stone, Terracotta and Ivory: Dating, Corrosion, Fake corrosion, Abrasion, Patinas, Paints, Manufacturing process, Restoration.

Beauty and Authenticity in African Art

Beauty can be neither explained nor experienced through words.….
For this reason the author has intentionally reduced text and comments to a minimum, illustrating the beauty of African art in over two hundred large colour photographs of valuable items belonging to the renowned Matthaes collection, now partly conserved and exhibited in five rooms of the Museo d'Arte e Scienza in Milan.
At the end of 2007, the Management of the Museo d'Arte e Scienza decided to assemble a catalogue also for the African section, which was to include both an assessment of the beauty and an evaluation of the authenticity of the objects. The idea was to capitalize on the long personal experience gained over the years and the results obtained by the Museum's scientific laboratory, using the finest equipment and most advanced analytical methods for the determination of authenticity.

Initially intended to be published in two volumes, the work was united in a single volume of 384 pages with over 300 objects dated using the IR spectroscopic method and illustrated in as many artistic colour photographs. Price: Euro 70 + delivery charges.
 

For information and orders please email info@museoartescienza.com or phone us on 0039 02 72022488

 

 

Detailed information on ascertaining the authenticity of objects of art and on

Leonardo da Vinci’s  Treatise on Painting can be found in the following books

of the Museo d'Arte e Scienza:
 

The Art Collector’s Illustrated Handbook
 How to tell authentic antiques from fakes

Appreciating Art
 through the Eyes of Leonardo
   

The most complete and updated Handbook about the ascertainment of authenticity in art and antiques with 540 pages and more than 2000 colour illustrations in 3 volumes and 3 languages
(Italian, English and German).

  

An abridged edition of the famous “Treatise on Painting” of Leonardo da Vinci. 157 pages and numerous colour photos.
 Printed in Italian and English. Available also in German and French online (www.LeonardoTeacherofPaintinginMilan.com).
   

 

 

These books are on sale at the Museum or can be sent by post.
For further information and to purchase on line click here

Prices:    Illustrated Handbook          Euro 40.00   volume 1
                                                                             Euro 30.00   volume 2
                                                                             Euro 30.00   volume 3
                               Appreciating Art                    Euro 20.00 + shipping charges

               Payment by          Credit Card please ask for the authorization form
                                                             Bank transfer SWIFT: VRBPIT2V041, IBAN: IT94L0518801600000000031328
                                                             Banca Popolare di Verona, Milano, Largo Cairoli 2A


 

 

The Founders and permanent staff
of the Museo d’Arte e Scienza

   
 
   
 

Gottfried Matthaes
 Founder and  President

Giovanna Cozzi Matthaes
 Co-founder

  
 
     

Dott. Chim. Peter Matthaes
 Lab. Director and CTU

 Patrizia Matthaes
 Administration		 Silvia Mayer
 Languages and Communication		 Dott. Avv. Martin Matthaes
Lawyer - International Law
 
 
Chiara Civardi
First lab assistant		 Roberta Delmoro
 Art Historian (Independent)		 Marta Cugnasca
 Data processing		 Sonia  Checchini
Conservation
       

 

 



 

 

OTHER SITES OF THE MUSEO D'ARTE E SCIENZA:

www.LeonardoDaVinciMilano.com - two permanent exhibitions: "Leonardo Citizen of Milan" and "Appreciating Art through the Eyes of Leonardo" from his "Treatise on Painting". 

www.ArtAndScienceHandbook.com - The most complete and scientifically valid guide to ascertaining the authenticity of European and non-European antiques on an objective basis (540 pages and more than 2,000 colour illustrations in 3 volumes and 3 languages).

www.AuthenticAfricanBronzesandCeramics.com -  Dedicated to the authenticity of African artworks in bronze, stone and pottery. The scientific laboratory of the Museo d’Arte e Scienza has developed valid methods for telling authentic African objects from copies and fakes.

www.Paintingsauthenticity.com - Information about the authenticity of modern paintings and antique paintings.

www.AntiqueFurnitureAuthenticity.com - A list of possible methods for determining the authenticity of furniture based on objective factors.

www.Excavatedartauthenticity.com - "A list of all the possible ways of determining, on the basis of objective factors, the authenticity of excavated pottery, glass or bronze items from Southern Italy, the Mediterranean Basin, China and South America.".

www.AfricanArtAuthenticity.com - "Art and Life in Black Africa", The African Art didactic section of the Museum (5 rooms and over 350 objects).

www.SpectroscopyforArt.com - A scientific method for the dating of wood and identification of the wood type used for art objects. Determination of their authenticity through analysis of colours, binders, pigments and other organic substances.

www.Matthaes.org  - The history of the G. Matthaes Foundation from the opening of the painting school in Dresden in 1906 up to the "Museo d'Arte e Scienza" in Milan.

www.CopiesAndFakesInArt.com - Ample further descriptions for ascertaining authenticity in art in the individual fields of antiques.

www.IvoryAuthenticityAndAge.com - Ivory, bone and horn can now be spectroscopically dated and accurately identified.

www.LeonardoTeacherofPaintinginMilan.com - An abridged and illustrated edition of the “Treatise on Painting”.