Until 29 September 2026, around thirty works portray Como and its lake through the eyes of Anna Castiglioni, Pierantonio Lorini and Giuliana Valli.
Lake Como, its landscapes and its atmospheres take centre stage in “Como: Watercolour Impressions”, an exhibition hosted by the Como Civic Art Gallery until 29 September 2026.
Curated by Veronica Vittani and Francesca Testoni, the exhibition brings together works by three Como-based artists: Anna Castiglioni, Pierantonio Lorini and Giuliana Valli. Three different artistic sensibilities, united by a passion for watercolour and a deep connection with the Lake Como area.
Lake Como Through Three Different Perspectives
The exhibition features around thirty watercolours dedicated to Como and its lake. Familiar views, mountains, water, mist and ever-changing skies are reinterpreted through a pictorial language capable of conveying not only the appearance of these places, but also the emotions they evoke.
The works on display originate from the observation of the landscape, yet go beyond its mere representation. Each artist offers a personal vision of the area, transforming familiar elements into intimate and evocative compositions.
With its transparencies and ability to capture light, watercolour is particularly well suited to portraying an ever-changing environment such as Lake Como, where colours and atmospheres continually shift according to the sky, wind and seasons.
A Contemporary Dialogue with Turner
“Como: Watercolour Impressions” was created as a collateral event to the exhibition “Turner: The Enchantment of Lake Como and the Italian Landscape”, organised by the Municipality of Como in collaboration with Tate and open until 27 September at the Broletto and the Como Civic Art Gallery.
The technique and artistic sensitivity of J.M.W. Turner, one of the most important English Romantic painters, provide the starting point for a dialogue between past and present.
This connection is particularly evident in three works: “Unpredictable Event” by Anna Castiglioni, “Mist over the Lario” by Pierantonio Lorini and “Bad Weather over Como” by Giuliana Valli. The works recall Turner’s celebrated painting Snow Storm, held at Tate in London, and explore the power and unpredictability of nature.
The Lake Como landscape therefore emerges not as a static backdrop, but as a living presence, capable of changing suddenly and stirring deep, contrasting emotions.
The Artists
Anna Castiglioni uses watercolour to create images with a suspended, almost dreamlike quality. In her works, lightness and symbolism coexist with careful observation of the landscape and a refined exploration of colour.
For Pierantonio Lorini, painting becomes a way of translating personal experiences and emotions onto paper. His works, often created outdoors or after mountain excursions, express the artist’s personal relationship with the area, capturing even its most intangible elements, such as light and mist.
Giuliana Valli begins with reality and transforms it into an interior synthesis. The landscape is observed, selected and gradually stripped of all non-essential elements. The result is a representation capable of conveying both the physical dimension of the places and their most intimate atmosphere.
All three artists live and work in Como, have practised watercolour painting for many years and are members of the Italian Watercolour Association.
An Opportunity to Rediscover the Lake Como Landscape
The exhibition offers visitors an opportunity to observe Como and its lake from different perspectives, through works that connect international artistic heritage with contemporary creativity rooted in the local area.
The dialogue with Turner offers a renewed way of looking at the Lake Como landscape: not only as one of the world’s best-known and most photographed destinations, but also as a space open to interpretation, still capable of inspiring new visions and new artistic languages.
Visitor Information
Exhibition: Como: Watercolour Impressions
Dates: until 29 September 2026
Venue: Como Civic Art Gallery
Address: Via Armando Diaz 84, Como
Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday, from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm
Last admission: 5:30 pm
Admission is included in the entrance ticket to the Civic Art Gallery and in the Tate Pass, which also grants access to the Turner exhibition at the Broletto and the Civic Art Gallery, as well as the “Feeling Colour” exhibition at San Pietro in Atrio.
For further information: [musei.civici@comune.como.it](mailto:musei.civici@comune.como.it)
Tel. +39 031 269869
Tickets are available at: museicomo.vivaticket.it
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