How Twentieth Century Art Found Its Place in Renaissance Florence

If you are lucky enough to be in Florence this first week of March and have not yet seen the exhibit “Spotlights on the Twentieth Century” you have one week to get to the Gallery of Modern Art at the Pitti Palace. This is a not to be missed collection of art that up until now had been designated to depositories due to lack of space at the museum.

In November of 2014 Fondly from Florence highlighted some of the newer venues that celebrate Contemporary art. https://fondlyfromflorence.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=484&action=edit

The Gallery of Modern Art has existed at the Pitti since 1924. The Accademia Gallery in Florence had housed in some of it’s rooms the Italian Impressionists or Macchiaioli which could be said then where the pioneers of the contemporary movement back in the mid nineteenth century. This exhibit has been assembled to celebrate the 100 year anniversary of the foundation created to ensure a designated place to show modern art in Florence.

The Gallery of Modern Art is a museum within a museum at the Pitti.

Here a look at the Pitti complex

Many of the paintings at the current exhibit at the Gallery of Modern Art are works that had been acquired at the Venice Biennial between 1925-1945.  Works were also donated or acquired from important art shows in Rome.  The Premio del Forino award also provided an avenue to obtain contemporary art for the museum.

The following important artists of the Macchiaioli are Giovanni Fattori and his Maremma Toscana.

Telemaco Signorini’s Rooftops at Riomaggiore

The bar Giubbe Rosse, that is still in the center of Florence today, was a meeting place of artists all during the 20th century.

Here we have Carlo Levi “Narciso” 1965

At the Novenceto museum many works were donated to Florence after the devastating flood of 1966 to rebuild the contemporary art collection.

In the permanent collection of the Novocento musuem one can view

Giorgio Morandi

and

Giorgio de Chirico

I would be remiss if I did not list the Marino Marini Musuem as a wonderful space to view 20th Century art.

The museum is housed in the ancient church of San Pancrazio. Here the works of Marini are displayed in the space created especially for him in 1988.  A great space to view the large sculptures of Marini.

It is inspiring to see how all genres of art are valued in Florence and how creative the Florentines have been throughout history to ensure a home for these treasures.