Self-portraits on paper by 16th- and 17th-century Masters

The rooms frescoed by Luigi Ademollo on the first floor of the Uffizi host an exhibition on a series of self-portraits on paper by 16th- and 17th-century Masters, which, for conservative reasons, are rarely exhibited to the public. It is a unique opportunity to "meet the gaze" of great artists such as Fra Bartolomeo, Pontormo, Cristofano Allori, Federico Zuccari up to Luca Giordano, Hans Holbein the Younger, Rembrandt and many others. A selection of 41 works, curated by Luisa Berretti, Laura Donati and Donatella Fratini, which is part of the rotating exhibition program of the works on paper of the Department of Prints and Drawings, as due to their inherent frailty and in order not to alter their state of conservation. In fact, they can only be exhibited for short periods and to constantly monitored conditions of light, temperature and humidity. Next rotation is scheduled for the beginning of May, and will involve 18th- and 19th-century artists.

The collection of the Department of Prints and Drawings of the Uffizi is one of the most important graphics collections in the world in terms of artistic value and number of works preserved (approximately 180,000 sheets). Its first nucleus is due to Cardinal Leopoldo de'Medici, who systematically arranged and organized it as of the mid-17th century, although some drawings had entered the Medici collections already in the 16th century thanks to Cosimo I de'Medici, first Grand Duke of Tuscany. Besides being a historical evidence of the refined patronage of the Grand Dukes and not only, the collection is anything but closed. It is constantly growing thanks to continuous purchases and donations of old and contemporary works.