Paintings, watercolours, and etchings from the collection of one of Morandi's earliest advocates, Antonio and Matilde Catanese, were avid collectors of Giorgio Morandi (1890–1964). Acquiring his works in the 1930s, the Milanese couple became among the first to contribute to his fame.

The Catanese collection, presented in this monograph, functions as a microcosm of the artist’s oeuvre, thanks to its quantity and chronological spread covering almost all the years of the artist’s activity, as well as the breadth of techniques and themes represented in its holdings.

The collection includes 15 paintings made between 1914 and 1959, and three watercolours representing the abiding themes of Morandi’s work, as indicated by titles such as Still Life, Landscape, and Flowers. Also included is a Self-Portrait of 1914.

Another integral part of the collection is its almost complete series of etchings. All of the works have been the subjects of scientific investigations, preliminary to restoration and conservation, conducted by the University of Urbino, the results of which are presented here.