Check out 5 great art exhibitions in Tuscany this Autumn: contemporary art in Florence, explore the history of Sienese art in Siena and meet the Macchiaioli at Palazzo Blu in Pisa. Autumn 2022, a season rich in art, colours and culture in Tuscany.
5 Great Art Exhibitions in Tuscany this Autumn 2022
1. Escher at Innocenti Museum in Florence
One of Florence‘s iconic buildings, the Spedale degli Innocenti in Piazza S.S. Annunziata, hosts an extensive expo dedicated to M.C. Escher, the Dutch-born artist who travelled and lived in Italy in the ’30s. His ingenious woodcuts and lithographies show the nature – and all the limits – of our perception, and are so famous they have become part of the collective imagination. Implausible geometries, infinite repetitions, staircases and globes that change shape under our very eyes, his black and white forms are an endless source of fascination and curiosity.
=> With the same ticket (16 Euro) you can visit the fascinating Spedale Innocenti Museum, dedicated to the institution of the Innocenti, or ‘innocents’, a hospital-orphanage where orphans and indigent children were taken in and raised.
=> Unique and Fun Activities to do in Tuscany!
2. A century in photographs – Elliot Erwitt at Villa Bardini, Florence
70 of the most famous works of American photographer Elliot Erwitt will be on display at Villa Bardini, in the Oltrarno in Florence, from 20th October 2022 to 22nd January 2023. Erwitt has selected the photographs himself, together with the curator of the exhibition, to create a path that shows the visitors how he views the world, from his anthropomorphic dogs to the rich and powerful, street views and the great movie stars, like Marilyn Monroe. Irony as an artistic choice, a way to demystify the good and the bad of our society.
=> Explore the Bardini Villa and Garden in Florence
=> 10 Renaissance Masterpieces to see in Florence
3. Olafur Eliasson, contemporary art at Palazzo Strozzi, Florence
From 22nd September 2022 to 22nd January 2023 the grand Renaissance palace Palazzo Strozzi in Florence becomes the distinguished setting for the works of visionary artist Olafur Eliasson. The elegant rooms and courtyard, with their grey stone columns and ample windows, interact perfectly with the displays of lights and colours created by the artist best known for his installation art and for always questioning the nature of our perceptions. You can book the tickets on the official site.
=> Great Experiences for Foodies in Florence!
4. Meet the Macchiaioli at Palazzo Blu in Pisa – Art Exhibitions Tuscany 2022
Located along the river Arno, the Palazzo Blu in Pisa (literally, Blue Palace) this Autumn hosts an extraordinary exposition entirely dedicated to the Macchiaioli, the 19th century avant-guard group indigenous to Tuscany. The exhibit – which displays 120 paintings – examines their relationship with the Tuscan landscape, the political turmoil of the Italian Risorgimento, and other European artistic movements of the time.
When: from 8th October 2022 to 23rd February 2023 – more info on the official site.
=> Check out Pisa 10 Ten Attractions!
Who were the Macchiaioli? They were a group of young painters active in Tuscany in the second half of the 19th century, a decade before the impressionists. Politically engaged and looking to modernise artistic forms, they used to paint outside to capture colours, light and shade, experimenting with new techniques to describe landscapes and socio-political issues. Their name comes from ‘macchia’ (stain in Italian), and they were first ridiculed by critics for using a style – similar to the French impressionists – that felt ‘incomplete’.
5. Siena, Discover Sienese art from late Middle Ages to 1900
Starting with the Sienese school in the Middle Ages, Siena has alway had a special relationship with figurative art, and a specific taste which is unique to this extraordinary town.
From 15th September 2022 to 8th January 2023, at the Santa Maria della Scala Museum in Siena, you can explore the peculiarity of Sienese art through an extensive exhibit of paintings and sculpture, from Medieval art to the XX century. With a roundup of Sienese artists such as Pietro Lorenzetti, Stefano di Giovanni known as il Sassetta, il Sodoma, Domenico Beccafumi, Cesare Maccari e Fulvio Corsini.
=> Siena in a day: a complete itinerary
=> Top 8 Churches outside Florence to see
=> Best Things to do to enjoy Autumn in Tuscany
#/media/File:Facade_Santa_Maria_della_Scala.jpg){kind=link}