Moroni (1521-1580) Il ritratto del suo tempo (Moroni (1521-1580) A portrait of his time) the exhibition, intends to celebrate the artist from Bergamo, one of the greatest interpreters of Lombard Renaissance painting. Having also painted significant devotional works, also on display in the exhibition, Moroni is, however, best known for his innovative work as a portrait artist.  Many of the artist's portraits on display here are labelled 'portraits in action', modern portrayals of people who, through a gesture or a glance, establish a connection with the spectator, bridging the emotional distance and static nature of official portraiture.

The Milanese exhibition, which comprises nine sections, aims to offer a comprehensive image of the painter, starting from his first steps in Moretto's workshop and continuing through a comparison with other contemporary artists who were active in the Lombardy area, such as Lorenzo Lotto, Gerolamo Savoldo and Moretto himself. To ensure a major completeness to the exhibition, the paintings are displayed side by side with some artworks by Titian, Veronese and Tintoretto, so as to establish a dialogue with the artistic productions of the time, even beyond the regional borders.

The paintings are on loan from prestigious organisations, including both important Italian institutions - such as the Accademia Carrara in Bergamo and the Fondazione Brescia Musei, which are also partners in the exhibition, the Uffizi Galleries, the Pinacoteca di Brera, and the Gallerie dell'Accademia in Venice - and outstanding international institutions, such as The National Gallery in London, the Musée du Louvre, the Museo Nacional del Prado, the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, the Gemäldegalerie - Staatliche Museen in Berlin, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

The exhibition is curated by Arturo Galansino and Simone Facchinetti and is undertaken as part of initiatives of Bergamo Brescia Italian Capital of Culture 2023.

Under the High Patronage of the President of the Italian Republic.

Whatch this in-depth video with descriptions by the curators

Focus on “Il Cavaliere in rosa”

Focus on “Alessandro Vittoria”

Focus on “Il Sarto”