Signorelli 500. Maestro Luca da Cortona, pittore di luce e poesia

The master of the “great” figures of the Renaissance, including Raphael and Michelangelo, will be the protagonist of a major retrospective in his hometown, accompanied by thematic itineraries and many events.

On the occasion of the five hundred years since the passing of Luca Signorelli (Cortona, circa 1445 – 1523), from June 23rd to October 22nd, 2023, the city of Cortona pays tribute to its most illustrious painter with the exhibition “Signorelli 500. Maestro Luca da Cortona, painter of light and poetry” at the Museum of the Etruscan Academy and the City of Cortona. The exhibition brings together around thirty works by the artist from prestigious Italian and international museums, including significant loans from private collections and overseas, marking the first time in seventy years that such a display has taken place in the city of Luca. This will be a valuable opportunity to further establish Luca da Cortona among the great artists of his time, considering the recent studies conducted in the field.

The exhibition presents several exciting novelties, including the reconstruction, to the extent possible, of the Matelica Altarpiece. Created between 1504 and 1505 for the Church of Sant’Agostino in Matelica, the altarpiece was dismantled and dispersed around the world in the mid-18th century. Another highlight is the presence of two precious panels depicting the Nativity and the Miracle of St. Nicholas (circa 1508-1510), returning to Italy for the first time from the United States of America (Atlanta). Furthermore, the exhibition reunites, for the first time in modern times, the central panel of the Polyptych of the Church of Santa Lucia in Montepulciano, depicting the Madonna and Child on a throne, along with the corresponding predella composed of three panels on loan from the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. In these works, Signorelli displays his narrative prowess. In fact, the power of imagination and visual invention are rare qualities attributed to the great artist, recognized not only by his contemporary courtier, painter, and poet Giovanni Santi, who described the Cortonese artist as having a lively intellect, but also by the eminent biographer Vasari. Vasari, in addition to Filippino Lippi, explicitly referred to Signorelli’s imaginative ability as an artist of the 15th century, particularly noting his frescoes in the Orvieto Cathedral. According to Vasari, Signorelli was “the person who, with the foundation of design and nude figures in particular, and with the grace of invention and arrangement of stories, opened the path to the highest perfection of art for most artisans”.

The exhibition is complemented by the Signorelli Itineraries, both within the city and in particular at the Diocesan Museum and the Church of San Niccolò, as well as in the Tuscan and Umbrian locations that preserve important testimonies of the Master. These itineraries, desired and promoted by the organizers, are considered a fundamental aspect to complete the exhibition. Agreements and collaborations have been established with the municipalities and institutions involved, creating an important network that will give life to a territorial enhancement of the great Renaissance painter, with Cortona as the center. This network is intended to endure over time, supported by a specific guide accompanying the exhibition catalog (both published by Skira), maps, facilities, and much more. The exhibition will also be accompanied by a rich program of related events, starting from March, including conferences, concerts, lectures, and more. These events will explore Signorelli’s life and work within the historical and cultural context of central Italy during the transition from the 15th to the 16th century.