"It's all in the detail"
Museo Correr
Il Correr di Carlo Scarpa 1953-1960
For the occasion of the 19th International Architecture Biennale the Museo Correr has put on an exhibition dedicated to the work of the famous Venetian architect and designer Carlo Scarpa - entitled - Il Correr di Carlo Scarpa 1953-1960 - until October 19 - curated by - Chiara Squarcina and Andrea Bellieni, the exhibition brings Scarpa’s design display units - for the Correr - to life with period photos from the MUVE Archive and original pieces he designed for the museum - display cases, easels, supports, and joints - some of which are still in use today. The exhibition showcases his unique blend of form and function, marked by his signature style and craftsmanship - becoming iconic examples of Italian postwar museography.
Detail - Case on 'foot' for the Mariegola dei Calafati - 1952-53
Production - Fabbri Zanon - Venice
Scarpa designed a sleek, wall-mounted wooden display case for important Venetian manuscripts, with a glazed front and top, and a unique central wooden support featuring elegant vertical stripes. This design, combining structure and beauty, also appeared in the Gallerie dell’Accademia. For the 16th-century Mariegola dei Calafati, he created a swiveling trapezoidal case of fine wood and plexiglass on an asymmetrical metal stand. These works reflect Scarpa’s inventive use of materials and his collaboration with skilled Venetian artisans like the Capovilla woodworkers and the blacksmiths Zanon.
Case on 'foot' for the Mariegola dei Calafati - 1952-53 -
Production - Fabbri Zanon - Venice
Wall Inclined Display Case - 1952-53
Production - Falegnameria Capovilla - Venice
Detail - Case on 'foot' for the Mariegola dei Calafati - 1952-53
Production - Fabbri Zanon - Venice
Carlo Scarpa’s 1959 Easel for Paintings, designed for the Quadreria Correr, is his most iconic museographic creation. Used in many later exhibitions, it masterfully combines precious wood and natural iron, with refined brass and wood inlays. Though structurally complex, the easel remains elegant and restrained, perfectly balancing function and form.
Easel for Paintings - 1959-1960
Production - Falegnameria Capovilla - Fabbri Zanon -Venice
Carlo Scarpa - Easel for Paintings - front and back - 1959-1960
Andrea Bellunello - Madonna in Trono con Bambino
tra San Giovanni Battista e San Tommaso - 1480ca.
co-curator - Andrea Bellieni
In the ornate Baroque setting of the Pisani Library - lined with carved wooden shelves and lit by a grand Murano chandelier - Scarpa introduced a bold modern contrast: four angled wooden display cases joined by iron supports. Their clean lines and subtle details, like stepped wood edges and laminated vertical supports, quietly echo the room’s craftsmanship while standing apart. Smaller versions carried this refined, functional style into other rooms for books, coins, and documents. The intervention reflects Scarpa’s design philosophy: a sensitive dialogue between past and present, where modern forms enhance, not overshadow, historical context.
Inclined Display Cases for the Pisani Library - 1952-1953
Inclined Display Cases for the Pisani Library - 1952-1953
Production - Falegnameria Capovilla - Venice
In the History and Civilization of Venice rooms, Scarpa designed striking all-glass display cases to hold original Venetian togas. Supported by half-height iron corner posts, the glass sheets are held by finely crafted brass clamps—both structural and decorative. Mostly quadrangular, with one hexagonal and one triangular case, they created a refined contrast with the full-length portraits of patricians wearing the same garments.
Hexagonal Showcase - 1952-1953
Production - Fabbri Zanon - Venice