Sassoferrato's Devout Beauty: A Major Monographic Exhibition in the Marche

A comprehensive monographic exhibition dedicated to Giovan Battista Salvi, known as Il Sassoferrato, opened in Sassoferrato, Marche, Italy. The show, promoted by the Comune di Sassoferrato along with Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Fabriano and Cupramontana, and under the patronage of MiBACT and Regione Marche, features loans from the Royal Library of Windsor Castle—drawings never before exhibited in Italy. These preparatory works are displayed alongside paintings of religious and devotional subjects, including multiple autograph versions highlighting subtle coloristic differences. Curator Stefano Papetti, president of the exhibition's scientific committee, describes Salvi's beauty as 'devout and educational,' aligned with Counter-Reformation ideals. The exhibition aims to reveal Salvi as a thoughtful artist who reinterpreted models like Raphael and Guido Reni, standing apart from Baroque spectacle and Caravaggesque realism. It includes altarpieces and portraits, offering a nuanced view of the 17th-century painter. The accompanying catalog is published by Silvana Editoriale.