Sixteenth-century Lombardy: Gallerie d'Italia holds Moroni exhibition

Gallerie d'Italia - Milan is hosting the exhibition "Moroni (1521 - 1580). A portrait of his time" dedicated to the career of Bergamo-native Giovan Battista Moroni, one of Lombardy's greatest Renaissance painters.

Moroni is best known for his innovative portraits: the works on display include his "portraits in action", which depict people who establish a connection with the viewer through a gesture or glance, bridging the emotional distance and static nature of official portraiture.

Curated by Simone Facchinetti and Arturo Galansino, the exhibition presents more than 100 works that include sketches, books, medallions and armour, but above all paintings from prestigious international museums. Moroni's works are accompanied by important figurative works by Lotto, Moretto, Savoldo, Anthonis Mor, Titian, Veronese and Tintoretto.

The exhibition is broken down into nine thematic sections, each dedicated to a particular aspect of the Lombard artist's oeuvre: it starts with a look at Moretto, Moroni's teacher, which is followed by a section on Lorenzo Lotto, who was very active in Bergamo, where his presence left a significant mark. Other sections focus on portraits of power, natural portraits and portraits of figures of his day.

The exhibition, under the High Patronage of the President of the Italian Republic, showcases the heritage of Bergamo and Brescia as 2023 Italian Capital of Culture and is being held in partnership with the Carrara Academy of Bergamo and the Brescia Museums Foundation.

The Milan exhibition venue is part of Intesa Sanpaolo's Gallerie d'Italia museum project, along with the museums in Naples, Turin and Vicenza.

Open to the public from 5 December 2023 to 1 April 2024.
For information on timetables and admission, please visit the Gallerie d'Italia website.