Maria Lassnig Exhibition at Palazzo Pitti, Florence

An exhibition of works by Maria Lassnig (1919–2014) is on view at Palazzo Pitti in Florence, with loans primarily from the Albertina in Vienna and the Maria Lassnig Foundation. The show traces the Austrian artist's six-decade career, highlighting her unflinching self-portraiture—whether realistic or disguised through objects—as a constant thread. Lassnig's practice absorbed Cubism, Expressionism, and Surrealism yet remained singular, often misunderstood in its time. The exhibition includes paintings such as 'Traurige Trauben' (1982) and 'Ideenfischer' (2001), demonstrating her belief in painting as a primordial tool against the loss of visual perception to photography. The article draws parallels between Lassnig and fellow Austrian artists Egon Schiele, Oskar Kokoschka, and Thomas Bernhard, suggesting a shared intensity rooted in the country's mountainous geography. The show is curated by Marta Santacatterina.