Islamophilia: The Italian experience between orientalism and collecting

The history of Islamic art collecting in Italy proves to be a privileged tool in the identification of "cultural connections" in the long and complex process of historical-artistic knowledge of Islamic civilization. The geographical position of the Italian peninsula and the characteristics of its history have determined since ancient times the characteristic of junction and point of connection of men and merchandise across the Mediterranean. The historical events of the nineteenth century have imposed a significant cultural change towards the lands of the East and Islamic countries, generating "orientalist connections" in different fields. According to Remì Labrousse's arguments, two parallel ways of interacting with the same East can be identified: on the one hand, it creates an Islamic attitude, which is the internalization and passion for Islamic ornamentation, expressed in the tables of decorative arts manuals, in specialized magazines, in the demand for artifacts for educational purposes. On the other hand, the "fashion of the East" that invades the most common environments: from the furnishing of private houses to the ateliers of artists, from cafes to Arab-style masks.

Among the various Italian events linked to the collection of Islamic art, the Roman experience stands out in a sui generis way. The subjects particularly active in Rome are the artists of antiques, in particular artists dedicated to orientalist painting (such as Fortuny, Simonetti, Signorini, Vertunni) who deal directly with the research and trade of Islamic objects.