Leonardo's Madonna Benois Returns to Italy at Fabriano's Pinacoteca Molajoli
To commemorate the 500th anniversary of Leonardo da Vinci's passing, the Pinacoteca Molajoli in Fabriano, Italy, is showcasing the groundbreaking painting Madonna Benois from the State Hermitage Museum. The exhibition incorporates a black labyrinth and music, illuminating the artwork in a unique way. Liphart attributed the piece to Leonardo in 1908; it was created between 1478 and 1480 and remains incomplete, featuring a smiling Virgin Mary set against a dark background. Mikhail Piotrovsky, director of the Hermitage, highlighted the significance of this loan, which was arranged by UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Maria Francesca Merloni. The painting's provenance includes previous owners General Korsakov and Alexander Petrovich Sapozhnikov before its acquisition by the Hermitage in 1913. A catalog by Pierluigi Panza accompanies the exhibition.
Key facts
- Madonna Benois by Leonardo da Vinci is exhibited at Pinacoteca Molajoli in Fabriano, Italy.
- The painting comes from the State Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg.
- The exhibition is part of the 500th anniversary of Leonardo's death.
- The work dates between 1478 and 1480 and was left unfinished.
- It was attributed to Leonardo by scholar Liphart in 1908.
- The Hermitage director Mikhail Piotrovsky stated that no Italian city is unworthy of great masterpieces.
- The loan was facilitated by Maria Francesca Merloni, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador.
- The painting was sold to the Imperial Hermitage in 1913 by Maria Alexandrovna Benois.
Entities
Artists
- Leonardo da Vinci
- Gentile da Fabriano
- Carlo Bertelli
- Pierluigi Panza
- Liphart
- Aleksey Ivanovich Korsakov
- Alexander Petrovich Sapozhnikov
- Maria Alexandrovna Benois
- Mikhail Piotrovsky
- Maria Francesca Merloni
Institutions
- State Hermitage Museum
- Pinacoteca Molajoli
- UNESCO
Locations
- Fabriano
- Italy
- Saint Petersburg
- Russia
- Florence
- Vinci
- Cesenatico
- Astrakhan
- Milan
- Abu Dhabi