Rubens Self-Portrait to Grace Sanremo Music Festival 2023

A self-portrait by Peter Paul Rubens (1577–1640), painted between 1638 and 1639, will be displayed at the entrance of the Teatro Ariston throughout the 2023 Sanremo Music Festival, from now until February 5. The initiative, named 'Ospite d'onore' (Guest of Honor), is promoted by the Liguria Region to enhance cultural heritage and foster cross-disciplinary engagement. The painting is currently part of an exhibition at Palazzo Ducale in Genoa, which has attracted over 70,000 visitors. Anna Orlando, curator of the Palazzo Ducale show, stated: 'Rubens is super pop. Rubens invents, dares, and upends the established order.' Liguria's President and Culture Assessor Giovanni Toti commented: 'Rubens is an out-of-competition guest at the Sanremo Festival and, as often happens with out-of-competition guests, will certainly be among the absolute protagonists of the Festival.' The choice of Rubens is intentional: the Flemish master lived in Italy for eight years starting in 1600, and his self-portrait is considered an iconic work. The collaboration aims to make high art accessible to new audiences and highlights Genoa as a potential cultural revelation for 2023.