Room 41 in the west corridor of the Uffizi Galleries, which housed paintings by Botticelli until October 2016, is now home to a collection of masterpieces by Michelangelo and Raphael in an effort to better highlight the artistic exchange between the masters during their period as contemporaries in Florence (1504-1508). The adjacent, soon-to-be-inaugurated Sala di Leonardo will focus on the same artistic period.
Notable works with new arrangements are Raphael’s portraits of Agnolo Doni and Maddalena Strozzi, his Madonna of the Goldfinch, and Michelangelo’s Doni Tondo (also referred to as The Holy Family). Speaking to The Florentine, Director of the Uffizi Galleries Eike Schmidt noted that a selection of Fra Bartolomeo works – including his Vision of St. Bernard – is included in the room due to the comparisons often drawn to Raphael.
The room was designed by architect Nicola Santini. Glass cases around the main paintings allow closer examination and controlled temperatures to best conserve the paintings.
The restoration and refurbishment work required for this project was made possible by funds from Amici degli Uffizi and the Friends of the Uffizi Galleries, the only two non-profit organizations dedicated exclusively to the Uffizi’s upkeep and preservation.
