The exhibition will remain open with free admission from May 31 – inauguration at 18 pm – to June 22, 2025, in the Sala del Basolato, Piazza Mino da Fiesole 24, Fiesole (Florence).
The Municipality of Fiesole, in collaboration with the Bueno Cultural Association , the Conti Foundation, and with the support of Propilei Srl, is organizing an exhibition in honor of Evelina Bueno Hay , entitled " Evelina Bueno. The Happy Muse, " curated by Sergio Risaliti . The exhibition is dedicated to Evelina, who passed away in 2013. She was the wife of Antonio Bueno, the great Spanish-born Italian painter born in Berlin in 1918 and who lived in Fiesole from 1970 until his death in 1984. She was also Xavier's sister-in-law. Evelina was a muse to both Bueno brothers, for whom she modeled many paintings, primarily for her husband, but also for her brother-in-law. The exhibition, featuring eight portraits and various photographs, is therefore intended as a tribute to a woman who always remained in the shadows, but who in reality was a constant and inspiring presence for Antonio throughout his life.
"Hosting, in the Sala del Basolato, an institutional space and the heart of our Piazza Mino, an exhibition dedicated to Evelina and the art of Antonio and Xavier Bueno," explains Fiesole Mayor Cristina Scaletti , "is a momentous initiative. We wish to pay homage to Fiesole's profound connection with this great artist, but we also wish to celebrate the appeal of our city, a candidate for Italian Capital of Culture 2028. A city that has always captured the attention and hearts of artists from all over, for whom it has been both a welcoming home and an extraordinary source of inspiration. Thanks, therefore, to the invaluable work of the Bueno Cultural Association, through which the heirs protect the works of the two painters, along with Caterina's musical legacy. Thanks to Isabella Bueno, Antonio's daughter and Xavier's granddaughter, who with enthusiasm and generosity has made this exhibition possible."
"A tribute to the fundamental influence Evelina had on her husband and his work," adds Isabella Bueno , "but also to Xavier Bueno, her brother-in-law, with whom she lived for a long time, sharing the terrible war years with her entire family, and a significant emotional bond. I would like to thank Mayor Cristina Scaletti for her loving contribution to the realization of the exhibition, curator Sergio Risaliti for his appreciation and sensitivity, and Propilei, in the person of Gherardo D'Anna, who supported us with particular enthusiasm.
