Uffizi director Eike Schmidt departs after final acquisitions and donations

Outgoing Uffizi director Eike Schmidt has concluded his second term with a series of acquisitions and donations. The museum received a self-portrait by Portuguese artist Joana Vasconcelos (born 1971, Paris), created in 2023, featuring crocheted materials linking to her installation in the ongoing exhibition "Between Sky and Heart." Additionally, the Uffizi acquired François-Xavier Fabre's "Portrait of the Intendant Delanoy" (1809) and a marble bust of Fabre by Emilio Santarelli (Florence, 1801–1886), as well as 270 graphic works from the Roman workshop of goldsmith Luigi Valadier. These works will enhance the 19th-century collection at Palazzo Pitti's Galleria d'Arte Moderna and the Uffizi's Gabinetto dei Disegni e delle Stampe. The Valadier collection includes silver, liturgical objects, decorations, and objets d'art using various techniques. Fabre, a Neoclassical painter born in Montpellier (1766–1837), fled to Tuscany in the late 18th century, where he connected with artists and intellectuals like the Countess of Albany. The portrait's setting is Boboli hill with a view of Florence's Giotto's bell tower, Orsanmichele, and the Duomo. Schmidt expressed satisfaction with acquiring the bust and portrait, noting the painting returns to Florence after being exhibited there 30 years ago, underscoring the city's international role during the Lorraine period.