Pieter Paul Rubens. Portrait of Giovan Carlo Doria on Horseback

Room I of the Pinacoteca Tosio Martinengo has temporarily bid farewell to Saint George and the Dragon, an absolute masterpiece of fifteenth-century Brescian painting, loaned to the exhibition “Saint George. The Journey of a Knightly Saint from the East to Genoa”.
The painting from the Brescian Collections also features as the key image on the official poster of the event, held in the spaces of the Teatro del Falcone within the Palazzo Reale complex in Genoa.

This occasion has made it possible to host, until 15 February 2026, in the same gallery of the Pinacoteca, the celebrated Portrait of Giovan Carlo Doria on Horseback by Peter Paul Rubens, a work from the Galleria Nazionale della Liguria (Musei Nazionali di Genova). The painting was once the centrepiece of Giovan Carlo Doria’s renowned collection, of which the Italian Ministry of Culture has recently acquired two important works that have further enriched the holdings of the Galleria Nazionale della Liguria itself.

The painting was executed around 1607, during the great Flemish painter’s stay in Rome, and imbues the nobleman’s figure with a monumental solemnity, animated by the dynamic movement of the horse and the dog at his feet. Overall, it stands as a powerful assertion of authority and ambition, perpetuating the image of the Genoese nobleman as a figure of power and prestige.

The arrival of Rubens’ painting represents an extraordinary opportunity to present, for the first time to the Brescia public, a work by the master from Antwerp — the foremost exponent of the international Baroque and among the most influential painters of the early modern period.
The majestic portrait of Giovan Carlo Doria, a noble Genoese patron of the arts, showcases Rubens’ expressive power and remarkable narrative ability, combining classical monumentality with modern sensibility in a perfect balance of strength and grace.
The Portrait of Giovan Carlo Doria on Horseback stands as one of the most powerful and emblematic images in European Baroque portraiture.

The history of collecting in Brescia also bears significant traces of the city’s connection with the Flemish artist. A painting by Rubens depicting Hercules Fighting the Nemean Lion was once housed in the Avogadro family gallery, while several works formerly attributed to him or his school enriched the collections of distinguished local families, including the Lechi.
Thanks to the bequest of Paolo Tosio, the Pinacoteca today preserves a sketch of an Old Woman’s Head, probably derived from a prototype by the master and executed by a member of his workshop.
Completing this dialogue with Rubens is the rich collection of reproductive prints held in the civic collections — tangible evidence of the enduring interest in his artistic inventions.

Giovan Carlo Doria (1576–1625) was an important Genoese nobleman and patron of the arts, belonging to one of the most influential families of the Republic of Genoa in the seventeenth century. Deeply embedded in the aristocratic and cultural circles of his time, he was portrayed by leading artists of the period, including Anthony van Dyck and Peter Paul Rubens.

The tour is included either in the purchase of the Biglietto Musei  or in the purchase of the Biglietto Integrato Musei.

Staying in Brescia is worthwhile!

For guests of HB Hotels (Hotel Vittoria, Hotel Regal, Hotel Leonessa, Hotel Master, Hotel Igea), Federalberghi (Hotel Al Poggio Verde, Hotel Ambasciatori) and Areadocks Boutique Hotel the entrance ticket is at a reduced rate upon presentation of the valid voucher issued by the hotel at the cash desk.

Winter opening hours (1 October – 31 May):

• Monday (except public holidays): Closed
• Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 10:00 – 18:00
• Last admission: 17:15