Two Unknown Works by Bernardino Palazzi Unearthed in Nuoro Exhibition

The Mancaspazio gallery in Nuoro, Sardinia, is presenting 'Radici', an exhibition curated by Chiara Manca that brings to light two previously unknown works by Bernardino Palazzi (Nuoro, 1907 – Rome, 1986). The show is described as a visual archaeology operation, recovering a monumental graphite drawing that critics had sought since the 1930s and an oil painting whose existence was unknown. The drawing, 'Gli Apostoli nell'orto' (1927), was presented at the 1928 Venice Biennale but went unnoticed. It depicts the apostles sleeping in the Garden of Gethsemane, inspired by Felice Carena's 'Apostoli', and shows influences from Mantegna and Bellini as well as the Novecento Italiano and Valori Plastici movements. The oil painting, 'La Veronica' (1951), is a preparatory study for a large fresco, depicting the Veil of Veronica with a crowded diagonal composition leading to Calvary, including a launeddas player and a Sardinian landscape. The exhibition runs until June 30, 2026, at Mancaspazio Art Gallery, Via della Pietà, 11, Nuoro.