A Window on Renaissance Florence
The Corsini Collection is a unique exhibition drawn from one of the last privately owned Italian princely collections in Florence. It includes some of the great masters of Italian Renaissance and Baroque art including Botticelli, Bronzino, Caravaggio and more. The collection has never before left Italy nor has it ever been presented in a touring exhibition until now.
The exhibition sets these masterpieces within the historical, socio-political and cultural context of their time. The Corsini princes were among the most important and influential families in central Italy from the Middle Ages to the 17th century. Florence, often called the cradle of the Renaissance, saw a burgeoning of political, economic and religious life, yet most importantly, these developments arose from individual families who strove to influence the way their particular city held its place within broader Italian politics.
The exhibition will draw on the Corsini’s remarkable collection of works of art, preserved over the centuries, with masterpieces by artists such as Botticelli, Caravaggio, Van Dyck and Rigaud, as well as decorative objects that help to give a sense of place and time. It will give audiences the opportunity to experience the history of an extraordinary family, who turned their love and passion for art into a true vocation, gathering a collection which through their determination survived the rigours of WWII and the devastating flood of 1966.
The opportunity to exhibit a private collection of Renaissance and Baroque art in New Zealand is extremely rare. People of all cultures travel to Florence to immerse themselves in culture and history. This exhibition makes Italian art available to New Zealand and Australian audiences.
Information and booking:
www.aucklandartgallery.com/whats-on/exhibition/the-corsini-collection