Room 1: Amos Cassioli Welcomes Us

Next to the entrance staircase, we encounter a large photograph of Amos Cassioli, appearing to welcome us and inviting us to explore his atelier. The Museum primarily houses works by Amos Cassioli (1832-1891), a painter from Asciano who trained in Siena and refined his skills in Rome and Florence, as well as works by his son, Giuseppe Cassioli (1865-1942), a painter, sculptor, and architect.

The museum, inaugurated in 1991, consists of a special collection (60 paintings and 288 drawings) donated by the last descendants of the Cassioli family, Giuseppe Amos Cassioli and Renata Polvani. Out of affection for their heritage, they preserved the family’s atelier. The collection includes sketches, preparatory drawings, and studies, illustrating the importance of systematic study in art.

In 2007, the museum was renewed, incorporating over forty works from the “Duccio di Buoninsegna” Art High School, formerly the Academy of Fine Arts of Siena, where Amos trained. Visitors can thus admire artworks by Amos alongside those of other artists such as Cesare Maccari, Pietro Aldi, and Angelo Visconti.

The museum invites visitors to immerse themselves in the creative atmosphere of the Academy, moving through sketches, studies, color trials, and period photographs. It is an invitation to experience the culture and art of the artists, exploring the colors, strokes, and harmony of their works. Here, one perceives not only artistic choices but also the sensitivity with which our featured artists interpreted reality and imagination, history, literature, and religion.

Founded on September 27, 1816, by Grand Duke Ferdinand III, the Institute followed the model of the Academy of Florence with courses in Painting, Drawing, Architecture, and Ornament. Luigi Colignon, embracing Neoclassicism, led the academic direction, emphasizing the importance of drawing and establishing a plaster cast collection for the students. Francesco Nenci succeeded him, leaning toward the purism of the Nazarenes and Ingres, encouraging the study of early Sienese masters and preserving the city’s artistic heritage. In 1851, under Luigi Mussini, an advocate for purism and the "Ideal Beauty" in opposition to the advent of realism, the Institute transformed into a "Sienese school" modeled after the organization of Renaissance workshops.

From 1818, the Academy established annual competitions for students, awarding gold and silver medals. The challenges involved copying artistically valuable originals essential for training new artists. Painting students copied ancient works, architecture students recreated city buildings, while in the drawing and ornament classes, students worked with plaster casts of figures and decorative forms. Among the competition-winning paintings, we admire copies of works by Raphael, executed in Rome by Amos Cassioli and Angelo Visconti, which demonstrate the lasting academic tradition of studying Renaissance masterpieces. In 1821, the Academy introduced the School of the Nude with an annual competition dedicated to this discipline.