Uffizi Acquires Hayez Portrait of Colonel Arese Lucini

The Uffizi Galleries in Florence have acquired Francesco Hayez's 1828 portrait of Count Francesco Teodoro Arese Lucini, depicting the Napoleonic officer and Risorgimento figure in prison. The painting goes on display January 1, 2023, before touring Tuscany and eventually settling at the Galleria d'arte moderna di Palazzo Pitti. Commissioned by Arese Lucini after three years' imprisonment at Spielberg fortress for involvement in the 1821 Milan uprisings, the work shows him in noble attire with chains at his feet—a revolutionary artistic choice. Arese Lucini, a known Milanese patron, sought to rehabilitate his image through this commission, emphasizing his suffering and patriotism after escaping execution by revealing secrets of the anti-Austrian conspiracy. The acquisition underscores the Uffizi's commitment to 19th-century Italian painting.