Thomas Dane did not dream of becoming a contemporary art gallerist. But after studying 17th-century Spanish art and the Italian Renaissance in London, he found himself in the same milieu as the Young British Artists. By 1991, he was helping organize exhibitions such as Damien Hirst’s “In and Out of Love in Mayfair,” where a room was filled with live butterflies.
Dane co-founded the art-book publisher Ridinghouse in 1995 with the art dealer Karsten Schubert. In 2001, however, Steve McQueen—fresh off winning the Turner Prize—asked Dane to represent him. “It was entirely his choice, not mine!” Dane told Art Basel’s magazine. Three years later, he opened his gallery in a glorious 18th-century townhouse at 11 Duke Street.
Since then, he has added artists such as Cecily Brown, Catherine Opie, and Lynda Benglis to his roster. And in 2018, he opened a second space in Naples. “The gallery is not driven by sales,” he has said. “It’s a place to look after people, and our building looks onto the greatest views in the world.” When not working, he immerses himself in the city’s history and archaeological sites.
Here, the gallerist shares some of his favorite spots in the ancient Italian coastal city.
Ipogeo dei Cristallini
This hypogeum, a unique underground site in Naples’s Sanità neighbourhood and near the Archaeological Museum, offers a remarkable experience of a 2,300-year-old Greek street. Every day, access is limited to a small number of visitors, who can walk on the cobblestones and explore the exquisitely decorated tombs. (ipogeodeicristallini.org)
Fondazione Morra Greco
In the 1990s, the dentist Maurizio Morra Greco began collecting contemporary art. Then, in 2003, having grown his collection to more than 1,000 works, he established Italy’s only foundation that is both private and public. Located in a 16th-century palazzo in the historic center of the city, the foundation uniquely showcases a different architectural style on each of its five floors. It also hosts exhibitions, performances, lectures, screenings, and music events, as well as an extensive program of residencies in which artists develop projects in connection with their time in Naples and at the foundation. (fondazionemorragreco.com)
Museo e Real Bosco di Capodimonte, in Naples. Museo e Real Bosco di Capodimonte
Once the hunting lodge of Charles of Bourbon in the late 18th century, this is now the only public museum in Italy with a collection spanning from the medieval period to contemporary art. It’s one of the greatest museums in the country, and it consistently captivates me as I often find myself alone in its rooms with Titian, El Greco, Michelangelo, Caravaggio, or Bruegel the Elder. (capodimonte.cultura.gov.it)
Axer/Dèsaxer, a site-specific work by Daniel Buren at the entrance of the Museo d’Arte Contemporanea Donnaregina. Museo d’Arte Contemporanea Donnaregina
One of Italy’s most distinguished public museums of contemporary art, Museo Madre boasts a significant permanent collection and an exceptional program. A colorful and vibrant site-specific work by Daniel Buren welcomes visitors into the museum’s beautiful entrance hall in the splendid 19th-century Palazzo Donnaregina. (madrenapoli.it)
The Seven Works of Mercy, a painting by Caravaggio for the chapel of the Pio Monte della Misericordia. Pio Monte della Misericordia
A philanthropic organization formed in 1602 that still provides charity and support to the most vulnerable and needy. Its seven founders commissioned Caravaggio to paint The Seven Works of Mercy for the chapel, depicting the seven corporal works of mercy in traditional Catholic belief. Visiting the chapel and museum feels like stepping into a time capsule of art, where works by Luca Giordano and Jusepe de Ribera hang in the same building as those by contemporary artists who began donating their pieces to the institution in 2008. These include Jimmie Durham, Francesco Clemente, Jannis Kounellis, Mimmo Jodice, Gilberto Zorio, Joseph Kosuth, and Anish Kapoor. (piomontedellamisericordia.it)
A tuna carpaccio from Diego. Diego
Diego and Mario Simonetti are two brothers from Naples. After working in London for a few years, they returned to their beloved home city and opened an exquisite restaurant serving incredibly fresh fish to just a handful of tables in a lovely little square. The restaurant is close to my gallery, making it all the more tempting to stop in for lunch or dinner. (instagram.com)
Ristorante Europeo Mattozzi
Europeo Mattozzi is the epitome of classic Neapolitan cuisine. The restaurant is run by the ever-charming Alfonso Mattozzi, a fixture since the 1970s, who still greets regulars at lunch and dinner while enticing new customers with his delicious dishes. On weekends, the performers Tonino and Daniele arrive with their guitar and mandolin to sing traditional songs, often drawing the whole room into song. (instagram.com)
Camiceria Piccolo
My preferred shirtmaker in Naples. A family-run business, it offers a wide range of fabrics and nicely tailored custom shirts, made with the exceptional artisanal skill that defines the Neapolitan tradition. (camiceriapiccolo.com)
Photos: Giulio Ghirardi; Luciano Romano/Electa/Mondadori Portfolio/Getty Images;
Mario Laporta/KONTROLAB/LightRocket/Getty Images; Mario Laporta/KONTROLAB/LightRocket/Getty Images; @instagram/diegoascensione