The Picture Gallery of Palazzo Reale consists of an important collection of paintings from the 17th to the 19th century, offering a rich repertoire of Neapolitan and Southern Italian schools. It also preserves a selection from the Farnese Collection in the so-called “Sala degli Emiliani,” featuring works by Guercino<\/b> (1591\u20131666) and Bartolomeo Schedoni<\/b> (1578\u20131615). Additionally, the collection includes Flemish school paintings acquired by Ferdinand IV and French school paintings commissioned during the Murat period.<\/p>\n
Among the most significant works is Orpheus Enchanting the Animals<\/i> (circa 1615) by the Dutch artist Gerrit van Honthorst<\/b>, which entered the Bourbon collections in 1802, originally attributed to Caravaggio. Also noteworthy are The Vestition of Saint Asprenus<\/i> by Massimo Stanzione<\/b> (1585\u20131656), a key figure in Neapolitan Caravaggism, and The Massacre of the Innocents<\/i> by Andrea Vaccaro<\/b> (1604\u20131679). One of the oldest works in the collection is The Misers, Tax Collectors<\/i> by Marinus van Reymerswaele<\/b> (1493\u20131567), a moralistic caricature illustrating the temptations associated with handling money. Two additional works by Andrea Vaccaro<\/b> (1604\u20131670), Orpheus and the Bacchantes<\/i> and The Meeting of Rachel and Jacob<\/i>, highlight the artist\u2019s classical influences, despite his early naturalistic training. The collection also includes The Return of the Prodigal Son<\/i> by Mattia Preti<\/b> (1613\u20131699), where the artist employs Caravaggesque light contrasts to emphasize the theme of forgiveness, and Venus, Cupid, and a Satyr<\/i> by Luca Giordano<\/b> (1634\u20131705), which reflects the influence of Venetian iconographic and pictorial traditions.<\/p>\n From the Farnese Collection, the gallery features two works by Bartolomeo Schedoni<\/b>, a Mannerist painter influenced by Correggio, depicting Saint Joachim and Saint Anne at the Golden Gate of Jerusalem<\/i> (traditionally titled The Charity of Saint Elizabeth<\/i>) and The Workshop of Saint Joseph<\/i>, both originally housed in the Church of San Francesco in Piacenza. Also included is The Dream of Saint Joseph<\/i> by Giovan Francesco Barbieri<\/b>, known as Guercino<\/b>.<\/p>\n Among the 19th-century paintings, a standout piece is the iconic Portrait of Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies<\/i> by Vincenzo Camuccini<\/b> (Rome, 1771\u20131844), displayed in the Throne Room. The painting depicts the king pointing from Palazzo Reale toward the Basilica of San Francesco di Paola, which he commissioned as an ex voto<\/i> following the Restoration. <\/div>