Moroni (1521–1580). A portrait of his time

The exhibition Moroni (1521–1580). A portrait of his time intends to celebrate the Bergamo artist, one of the greatest exponents of Lombard Renaissance painting. Also the author of significant devotional works, which are on display in the exhibition, Moroni is best known for his innovative work as a portraitist. Many of the portraits created by the artist on display here are defined as portraits in action, modern depictions of characters who, through a gesture or a glance, connect with the viewer, overcoming the emotional distance and static nature of official portraiture.

The Milan exhibition, through nine sections, aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the painter, starting with his early days in Moretto's workshop and continuing with comparisons with other contemporary artists active in the Lombardy region, such as Lorenzo Lotto, Gerolamo Savoldo and Moretto. In order to achieve maximum completeness, the paintings are accompanied by works by Titian, Veronese and Tintoretto, to outline a dialogue with the artistic productions of the time, ranging even beyond regional boundaries.

The lenders are prestigious, including both important Italian institutions – such as the Accademia Carrara in Bergamo and the Fondazione Brescia Musei, which are also partners in the exhibition, the Uffizi Galleries, the Pinacoteca di Brera and the Gallerie dell'Accademia in Venice – and major international institutions such as The National Gallery in London, the Musée du Louvre, Prado National Museum, Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, Gemäldegalerie – Staatliche Museen in Berlin, National Gallery of Art in Washington, Philadelphia Museum of Art.

^{Photo Credit: Giovanni Battista Moroni, Portrait of Giovanni, Gerolamo Grumelli (The Knight in Pink), 1560. Lucretia Moroni Collection, Photo Studio Da Re © 2021 FAI- Italian Environment Fund.}