ROME.- Italy is angry over Australian art critic Benjamin Genocchio’s review of its old masters exhibition in Canberra and is threatening with a $50-million lawsuit for his fighting front-page words in the Australian newspaper on "The Italians: Three Centuries of Italian Art". Italy's Under Secretary of State for Culture and Art, historian Vittorio Sgarbi, said he was offended and insulted by The Australian newspaper's front page review of The Italians: Three Centuries of Italian Art. The piece described the National Gallery of Australia (NGA) exhibition as "a trifle oversold" and resoundingly average, with minor pictures by second and third division artists. Visual arts critic Benjamin Genocchio also criticized one painting as badly restored. The exhibition's 107 works include paintings by Titian, Caravaggio, Canaletto, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Veronese, Correggio, Raphael, Tintoretto and Tiepolo. "These are masterpieces of the highest level, owned by the Italian state" Mr. Sgarbi said. "The state feels offended and will need to ask legal advice on this to see what should be the level of damage sought," he said. NGA director Brian Kennedy refused to enter the debate about redress but said the article was an insult. Art experts lambasted the critic, saying they were outraged at the review. However, the Australian stuck by its reviewer.

Three Centuries of Italian Art offers a treasure house of masterpieces, representing a vast range of artistic styles and movements and celebrating the best of Italian art as it developed over three centuries throughout the many regions of Italy. The exhibition has been arranged by the Italian Government as their major international cultural promotion in the visual arts for 2002. It arose from the Italian Government's wish to send a splendid display of Italian Old Masters to Australia.