An architect by training, art critic and painter by vocation, Emilio Bertonati (1934 - 1981) opened the Galleria del Levante in 1962 in Milan, a point of reference for collectors, artists, critics and art lovers. A tireless scholar and promoter of a number of new artistic trends, from Symbolism to Magic Realism, from Neue Sachlichkeit to German Expressionism, as well as works by selected contemporary artists, Emilio Bertonati's work remains an example of clear vision and courage.

Between 1962 and 1981, the Galleria del Levante presented four or five exhibition projects per year, each of which is documented and represented in the exhibition, which is divided into 7 sections.
The antechamber contains a selection of catalogues published by the Galleria del Levante, which include essays by leading critics and intellectuals, testifying to the deep relationships Bertonati had with scholars of the time.
After a room dedicated to the Gallerist, the exhibition continues with two rooms on Symbolism. Among dreamlike atmospheres and fantastic bestiaries we move from a more romantic Symbolism to a more disturbing one, ending with works that announce the Futurist avant-garde. Among the artists presented there are well-known artists, such as Maximilian Lenz, Gustav Klimt, Fernand Khnopff and Max Oppenheimer.
The tour continues with the hall dedicated to Magic Realism and Plastic Values, represented respectively by Cagnaccio di San Pietro and Edita Broglio. By Cagnaccio, the Mart proposes a series of still life works that represent his "colder", more analytical and severe painting; similar to the style of the German New Objectivity that the Gallerist also loved.
The juxtaposition continues in the section dedicated to 1930 Germany, in which a disturbing atmosphere emerges, influenced by the contradictions of that particular historical period.
This is followed by a section dedicated to Pictorialism and photography, to which Bertonati dedicated several studies and publications in the 1970s. In the exhibition, portraits, experimental photography and photojournalism are organised in small monographic subsections.
The exhibition closes with a coda on the German "new realisms" of the 1970s, dedicated to the generation of young painters that Bertonati was passionate about.

The history of the Gallery represents a crucial moment in the broader history of Italian exhibitions. This exhibition engages with and adds value to the Mart's heritage, which preserves and studies several of the artists selected by Bertonati. In particular, the "Ritratto di Frieda Cornelius" [Portrait of Frieda Cornelius] by Christian Schad, I ciclisti [The cyclists] by Franz Radziwill, two drawings and a lamp by Luciano Baldessari come from Rovereto's collections.

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