Inventing Nature: Leonardo, Arcimboldo, Caravaggio

In the grand halls of Palazzo Te a Mantua, the Palazzo Te Foundation presents an exhibition of extraordinary significance, conceived to mark the 500th anniversary. In close and fruitful dialogue with the exceptional decorative scheme conceived by Giulio Romano, the exhibition explores in depth the complex relationship between the natural world, artistic creation and court culture in the Five hundred.

The exhibition is organised into seven thematic sections – Create, Destroy, To surprise, To know, Play, To amaze e Animate – which reflect the diverse perspectives on nature that coexisted within Renaissance culture. Nature is portrayed here as an instrument of divine will, a destructive force, an object of scientific and collectable interest, but also as a source of curious wonders and courtly entertainment. In this context, artistic endeavour reveals itself as a fundamental means of understanding, controlling and imitating reality.

Extraordinary works by masters of the calibre of Leonardo da Vinci, Giuseppe Arcimboldo, Annibale Carracci, Agostino Carracci e Caravaggio, alongside a selection of sculptures, drawings, precious objects, exotic materials and automata on loan from prestigious Italian and European institutions, guide visitors on an educational journey through art, science e technology. The route also includes the famous Chamber of the Giants, the very symbolic centrepiece of the exploration of the boundary between marvel, power e depiction of nature.