Milan, for Palazzo Marino Christmas exhibition comes Perugino's Baptism of Christ

Like every year, the City of Milan ’s Christmas exhibition at Palazzo Marino returns. From December 5 to January 14, 2024, the Sala Alessi will host, on the occasion of the celebrations for the 500th anniversary of the death of Pietro Vannucci, known as Perugino, one of his masterpieces: the Baptism of Christ, formerly part of the polyptych of the church of Sant’Agostino in Perugia. Promoted by the City of Milan and sponsored by the Perugino Committee 1523 - 2023, the exhibition project is conceived by Palazzo Reale in collaboration with Gallerie d’Italia of Intesa Sanpaolo, the Library Area and the City Councils. The exhibition is made possible thanks to the contribution of Intesa Sanpaolo, an institutional partner that for years, together with the support of Rinascente, has flanked the Ambrosian Administration in offering this event to the city. The exhibition is curated by Marco Pierini, Veruska Picchiarelli and Domenico Piraina, while the organization is entrusted to Civita Mostre e Musei. A catalog published by Skira Editore accompanies the exhibition.

The Baptism of Christ, a masterpiece created by Perugino in the early 16th century and now preserved at the National Gallery of Umbria, was intended to stand at the center of a polyptych, the so-called Polyptych of St. Augustine (to which we had dedicated an in-depth article). Around the painting unfolded many other panels, with figures of saints and sacred stories. At the National Gallery of Umbria are the panels with the Baptism of Christ and theAdoration of the Shepherds, while the other panels are kept at various museums.

The imposing structure, consisting of about thirty panels distributed on two sides, oriented respectively toward the nave and the chancel of the building, began in the peak years of Perugino’s career. The commission contract is signed in 1502, but already in 1495 the skilled carver Mattia di Tommaso da Reggio had been commissioned to prepare the supports and woodwork. The Baptism of Christ is painted by the artist during the first phase of the commission, in the first decade of the sixteenth century and certainly before June 18, 1512, the date of the second contract signed with the friars for the construction of the complex, in which the subject is said to be already completed. In the 1650s the polyptych was dismantled. Soon after, in 1683, the panels were removed from their original frames, and at an unspecified time, probably in the 18th century, some of the panels were lost.

Thanks to anupdated interpretation of technical, historical and documentary data, the original structure of the polyptych will be reproduced in its entirety at the exhibition through a scenographic digital display. In this way, visitors will be able to admire not only Perugino’s masterpiece live, but also the animated reconstruction of the entire polyptych.

The scenographic installation project, by architects Franco Achilli and Luigi Ciuffreda, is designed to be totally eco-sustainable and completely recyclable, from the buildings to the coverings, and is intended to evoke the sacredness of water.

The collaboration between the Lombard capital and the National Gallery of Umbria has also led to the realization of another major project dedicated to Perugino: in fact, a generous contribution from the City of Milan has enabled the restoration of the Gonfalone della Giustizia, another masterpiece by the artist preserved in the Umbrian museum. The restoration will be presented in Perugia during the international study conference with which, on December 13 and 14, the Gallery will close its Perugino celebrations.

As every year, the Palazzo Marino exhibition is free admission, daily. Visitors will be admitted to the exhibition in groups and welcomed by art historians, coordinated by Civita, who will act as guides through the exhibition.

In the city’s other eight town halls, area libraries will host as many important 19th- and 20th-century works from the Galleria d’Arte Moderna and the Museo del Novecento in Milan, linked by the theme of childhood, from Dec. 11 to Jan. 5. The works on display are Francesco Hayez’s La Vergine, Bertel Thorvaldsen’s La Madonna col Bambino e San Giovannino, Carlo Carrà’s Due Figure, Giovanni Carnovali’s Sacra Famiglia, Angelo Dall’Oca Bianca’s Amore Materno, Adorazione dei Magi by Adolfo Monticelli, Gaetano Previati’s Maternità and Achille Funi’s Ritratto di bambina.

Milan, for Palazzo Marino Christmas exhibition comes Perugino's Baptism of Christ

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