Caricature Exhibition at Palazzo Loredan Spans Leonardo to Bacon

A new exhibition at Palazzo Loredan in Venice explores the history of caricature, featuring 18 drawings by Leonardo da Vinci alongside works by Francis Bacon and other masters. Titled "Caricature in mostra a Venezia," the show is promoted by the Fondazione Ligabue and curated by Pietro Marani. It traces the evolution of facial deformation from Leonardo's grotesque heads to Bacon's distorted portraits, including his "Three Studies for a Portrait of Isabel Rawsthorne" (1965). Highlights include rare Leonardo sheets from Chatsworth House's Devonshire collection, works by Lombard followers, a maiolica cup with a humorous inscription, and a painting by Giovan Paolo Lomazzo. The exhibition also covers naturalistic studies by the Carracci workshop and Venetian caricaturists like Anton Maria Zanetti and Giambattista Tiepolo. Inti Ligabue, foundation president, notes the works prompt reflection on humanity and natural knowledge. The show runs at Palazzo Loredan, with loans from the Ligabue Collection and other sources.