I Macchiaioli

The exhibition offers an opportunity to rediscover one of the most significant movements in 19th-century European painting, which expressed the ideals of the Italian Risorgimento and was fundamental to the construction of a unified Italian identity.

The survey reconstructs the movement’s history from 1848 to 1872. It highlights how these young painters challenged academic rules and official canons by painting outdoors and focusing on contemporary life and natural light. While they shared the innovative “macchia” technique, the artists maintained their individual styles.

The display is organised into nine sections, tracing their artistic evolution from the defense of Rome and the Second War of Independence to their radical renewal of genres such as landscape, portraiture, and scenes of daily life. The retrospective also explores the movement’s rediscovery in Milan during the 20th century and its influence on cinema, specifically the work of Luchino Visconti.