‘Ri-Conoscere Michelangelo – La scultura del Buonarroti nella fotografia e nella pittura dall’Ottocento ad oggi’
Galleria dell’Accademia, Florence
18th February – 18th May 2014
As part of the celebrations for the 450th anniversary of Michelangelo’s death, Florence’s Galleria dell’Accademia has put together an exhibition that celebrates the constant renewal in cultural interest and admiration towards the great master beginning from the 19th century up until the contemporary era, through the works of sculptors, painters and photographers who have looked to Michelangelo as a major artistic reference point.
The importance of photography in the consolidation of Michelangelo’s “legend” is evidenced by a series of photos depicting his sculptures and monuments, which demonstrate the key role that such a selective group of images had in ensuring that his works were seen all over the world, and therefore etched in global collective memory.
The historical tone of the photographs on show also serves to illustrate the developing role of photography through time, and its increasingly close ties to historical documentation, as art photographers were called upon to depict and analyse the forms and meanings of the sculptures which they photographed, in order to confirm theories and tie in with stylistic analyses of the time. The exhibition also demonstrates the different roles that the photography of such works of art could take on, from straightforward documentation to personal artistic interpretation.
Michelangelo’s physiognomy and character are also examined, through the photographic works of such artists as Eugène Delacroix, Auguste Rodin, Piot, Baldus, Philpot, and many others who were the first to explore the new artistic medium.
Finally, Michelangelo’s influence is also on display in 19th century works of art by Medardo Rosso, Matisse, Mollino and others, and in photographic research done right up to the 1970s, as well as through an examination of the theme of copies and doubles of artistic works in the era of mass production.
This exhibition is running until the 18th May, don’t miss it!
Opening hours:
Tuesday – Sunday 8.15 – 18.50
Closed on Mondays and on May 1st