On 16 May 2019, Arbat Fine Art Gallery opened an exhibition of Renaissance portraits. The exhibition featured eleven portraits, including a work dedicated to Cosimo I de’ Medici, the first Grand Duke of Tuscany, as well as other works from the gallery’s collection.

This year marks the 500th anniversary of Cosimo I de’ Medici’s birth, which is why the gallery decided to honour him by presenting visitors with his portrait, executed by Bronzino’s workshop. This portrait inspired us to undertake a broader reflection on the memory of Florence and the Renaissance in general. Thus, the idea for the exhibition was born — an exhibition highlighting mysterious Florentine, Italian, and European portraits.

On 16 May, the exhibition was presented by prominent figures including Eugenio Giani, President of the Regional Council of Tuscany, and art historian Vittorio Sgarbi. Subsequently, several lectures were held at the gallery, with contributions from art historians such as Cristina Acidini, Francesco Gurrieri, and Michele Loffredo. All of them praised the significant cultural contribution that the event made to the city.

Renaissance Portraits aims to bring eleven people of that century back to Florence, revealing their gazes, shadows, smiles, and pain. The purpose of this exhibition is to take visitors on a journey into the Renaissance through one of the period’s most intimate genres: portraiture.