Galleria Borghese brings hidden masterpieces from storage into exhibition

The Galleria Borghese in Rome has launched a new initiative, "I quadri scendono le scale" (The Paintings Come Down the Stairs), running until February 7, 2022. Fifteen works normally kept in storage will be displayed in rotation along the museum's exhibition route. This follows the 2019 program "Capolavori dai depositi" which opened the museum's storage areas to visitors, featuring 260 paintings on two levels. Among the showcased works are Lucia Anguissola's "Ritratto di dama," likely depicting her sister Sofonisba, and Ventura Salimbeni's "Le tre grazie," previously attributed to Francesco Vanni and Rutilio Manetti. Anguissola's painting features a woman holding a cord necklace, a hallmark of her style. Salimbeni's work depicts the three Graces in a dreamlike landscape with Eros and Anteros.