Palazzo Te Explores Renaissance Nature Inventions with Leonardo, Arcimboldo, and Caravaggio

At Palazzo Te in Mantova, the exhibition "Inventare la natura, Leonardo, Arcimboldo, Caravaggio" runs until January 16, 2027, offering a journey through Renaissance pictorial and scientific inventions. The show features Leonardo da Vinci's drawings "Tempesta" (1513–1518) and "Terremoto" (1512–1518), which evoke fear and protection, as well as Giuseppe Arcimboldo's "Testa reversibile con cesta di frutta" (1590), displayed in a cylindrical frame with a mirror that reverses the image to reveal a different face. Other works include a tapestry after Raphael depicting Saint Paul in prison destroying a wall, and Bartolomeo Ammannati's 1567–68 owl sculpture, noted for its biological accuracy over 500 years. The exhibition also includes automata, which the author views as imitable craftsmanship rather than excessive intelligence. Curated in the context of Renaissance as a Western cultural foundation, the show is accompanied by a catalog. The author, Francesca Pasini, reflects on John Berger's writings on imagination and perspective, and on how Renaissance innovations resonate with today's technological infinite. Palazzo Te is located at viale Te 13, Mantova.