To mark its centennial anniversary, the Modern Art Gallery at the Pitti Palace is hosting Luci sul ‘900, dedicated to the space’s twentieth-century treasures.
Honing in on Italy’s modern masters, the exhibition features works by Gino Severini, a prominent Futurist, and Giorgio de Chirico, who spearheaded the metaphysical movement, a precursor to surrealism. In addition to the more widely recognised figures in the art world, a substantial portion of the show focuses on locally and regionally significant artists, including leading figures of the Novecento Toscano, an eclectic group that helped make Florence an intellectual hub in the 1920s.
Many of the Italian works on display were acquired between 1925 and 1945 at various editions of the Venice Biennale, at the 1935 Rome Quadriennale and locally at the Società di Belle Arti and the Sindacali Toscane. Due to lack of sufficient space, much of this collection had been held in storage. 88 of the 120 works on display have undergone light restoration especially for this occasion.
Apart from Italian artists, Luci sul ‘900 also features work by contemporary American painter and printmaker Jasper Johns. The exhibition closes with the gallery’s most recent acquisitions, which span a 30-year period and include pieces by Giorgio Morandi and Mario Cavaglieri. The exhibition is on until March 8, 2015.
