Maria Grazia Branchetti, art historian, Rome. A lecturer and freelance researcher, she held a ten-year position at the State Archives of Rome in the Service of Cultural Events. He has deepened the study of the mosaic of the modern age, helping to make its history known with monographs and essays, organization of exhibitions, participation in conferences. For the Gangemi publisher she has published as an author: I luoghi della Sapienza (2000); Savelli Collection (2004). As co-author: The “Maraviglioosa invenzione”. Strade ferrate nel Lazio 1846-1930 (2003); Pontifical Lazio between land and sea (2005); With magnificence and decorum (2008); The art of micromosaic (2016). His essays are featured in «Bollettino dei Musei Comunali di Roma» (XX, 2006; XXXI, 2017; XXXIV, 2020).
His latest literary effort Settimia Maffei Marini (Gangemi editore 2024).
Rome, early nineteenth century. Settimia Maffei Marini studied the disciplines of drawing and specialized in what is now known as “micromosaic”. She faced prejudice and mistrust, because mosaic art was a typically male field, but she followed her inclination, believing in the equality that comes from ingenuity, and obtained the highest recognition with the nomination as an honorary member of the Accademia di San Luca. He reached the peak of his career by trying his hand at works of great commitment, including the famous translation, now lost, of Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper. It will be his swan song.
Settimia Maffei Marini was a pioneering figure in the artistic panorama of Rome in the early nineteenth century, at a time when the decorative arts, and in particular the art of mosaic, were dominated by men. Specializing in the micromosaic technique, a practice that required extreme precision and a deep knowledge of chromatic composition, Settimia challenged gender expectations, driven by the belief that talent had no gender boundaries.
Despite the obstacles and prejudices that characterized the time, Settimia gained a rare prestige for a woman of her generation. The Accademia di San Luca, which was one of the most important institutes for the training and promotion of the arts in Rome, recognized her value by awarding her the title of honorary member. This appointment represented not only a consecration for her artistic ability, but also a sign of openness on the part of the institutions, which saw in her an extraordinary talent capable of contributing to the Italian artistic heritage.
The highlight of his career was the “translation” of Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper, a challenging and symbolic undertaking that required both technical mastery and a deep respect for the original work. This work, unfortunately lost, testifies not only to his skill but also to the ambition and dedication that characterized his approach to art.
Leonardo’s work represented her swan song, and her career ended up becoming an example for future generations of female artists. Settimia Maffei Marini not only paved the way for other women in art, but helped redefine the limits of female artistic expression, leaving a legacy of boldness and talent.
Maria Grazia Branchetti presents art as a universal language, capable of reaching anyone and being understood by everyone, beyond cultural and intellectual barriers. In this vision, art takes on a direct and profound teaching role: it is not limited to dialoguing with rationality or critical thinking, but comes to involve our emotional side, awakening sensations and intuitions that go beyond words and logic.
Branchetti, with his incisive and passionate communicative style, manages to make us readers vibrate with a deep echo that pushes us to reflect not only on the aesthetic beauty of the works, but above all on their function. The work of art, under its lens, is not just a decorative object or a means of entertainment, but a vehicle of universal meanings and truths. This ability of art to “speak” to each of us in an immediate and personal way pushes the reader to an infinite series of considerations: why does art excite us?
What message does it bring with it? How can it transform our worldview?
The way in which the historian accompanies us on this journey makes us rediscover the power of art not only as an expression, but as a sort of emotional and transversal language, which can touch the deepest chords of the human soul and contribute to our personal growth.