For the first time, comic books enter the Uffizi exhibition route

For the first time, comic books are becoming part of the Uffizi exhibition itinerary, albeit on a temporary basis. Yesterday, in fact, with the opening of the new rooms of artists’ portraits, a section dedicated to comic book artists was also opened, a unique case for the moment among major international museums. The project was made possible thanks to the Comics in Museums project launched by the Ministry of Culture in 2017, and the collaboration started in 2021 between Gallerie and Lucca Comics & Games.

The Uffizi thus offers to the public, in two rooms frescoed in the 19th century by Luigi Ademollo, the self-portraits of 54 Italian masters, including Milo Manara, Lorenzo Mattotti and Altan, and that of the noble father of U.S. comics, Will Eisner, and then again Tuono Pettinato, Silvia Rocchi, Vincenzo Filosa, Miguel Angel Valdivia and many others. Portraits of comic book artists occupy the two rooms reserved for exhibitions on rotation: in fact, works such as photographs, ancient and modern drawings, engravings, and new acquisitions of works on paper, which due to the sensitivity of the material to light can only be exhibited for a few months a year, will also be shown to the public here.

Departure therefore reserved for comics, and satisfaction on the part of Mattia Morandi and Chiara Palmieri , who curated the exhibition Comics in Museums. The Self-Portraits of the Uffizi, organized in 2021 from the donation of 52 self-portraits of comic book artists to the Uffizi, which also took place two years ago. The donation and exhibition also gave rise to the current section that can be visited in the Florence museum. “This is a historic day for ninth art,” declare Mattia Morandi and Chiara Palmieri. “If anyone still harbored any doubts, this new exhibit confirms that comics are to all intents and purposes a fundamental part of Italy’s cultural heritage. It is truly a thrill to see the self-portraits of some of the most important Italian cartoonists alternating with the self-portraits of the great masters of the history of art kept in the prestigious halls of the Uffizi.”

For the first time, comic books enter the Uffizi exhibition route

Warning: the translation into English of the original Italian article was created using automatic tools. We undertake to review all articles, but we do not guarantee the total absence of inaccuracies in the translation due to the program. You can find the original by clicking on the ITA button. If you find any mistake,please contact us.