The pivot of the Florentine exhibit is Pontormo's «Venere e cupido» (in the picture) on a drawing by Michelangelo. The exhibit is opened by some studies by Michelangelo on the theme of the goddess of love: 4 sketches of an old Venus from the British Museum are placed face to face with an old bronze and a terracotta outline from Casa Buonarroti.

For the first time, five centuries and a careful restoration process later, the project that Michelangelo, Pontormo and Bronzino were working on is revealed. In the years between 1532 and 1533 the three artists were working on a decoration commissioned by Bartolomeo Bettini for a room in the family palace. However, this was never completed, because it was confiscated by the de' Medici family.

For this project Michelangelo created the real life size drawing of Venus and cupid, which was then executed on the plate by Pontormo. The table was to be completed (though it never happened) with a lunette made by Bronzino where he depicted the Tuscan poets who sung Love: Dante, Petraraca and Boccaccio.

There are also two preparatory drawings, Michelangelo's and Bronzino's from the Munich Museum Staatliche Graphische Sammlung. Vasari's painting "Sei poeti toscani" was brought from Minneapolis, never before been shown in Florence. Also on display the studies made on the feminine nude by Ghirlandaio (la Notte), Rosso Fiorentino (Leda) and Tiziano (Venere e Cupido).

The exhibition ends with a section dedicated to the study through diagnostic surveys of five versions of Venere e cupido.

Venere e amore. Michelangelo e la nuova bellezza ideale
Where: Galleria dell'Accademia, Tribuna del David, Florence
When: 26 June to 3 November 2002
Opening times: every day 0815 - 1850. Closed Mondays
Tickets: 8.50 euro, inclusive of visit to Galleria dell'Accademia
Information and bookings: Firenze Musei 055-2654321 from 0830 to 1330
Catalogue: published by Giunti editore

July.2002

Municipality of Florence