Uffizi Director Simone Verde on the 18th-Century Exhibition and Museum's Future

Simone Verde, director of the Uffizi Galleries in Florence since January 2024, discusses the exhibition 'Florence and Europe: 18th-Century Arts at the Uffizi,' which he co-curated with Alessandra Griffo. The exhibition showcases works from the 18th century that are normally not on view due to ongoing renovations of the museum's Levante wing, expected to reopen in three years. Verde explains that the show highlights the Medici legacy, particularly Maria Luisa de' Medici's 1737 donation of the family collection to the state, preventing its dispersal. The exhibition also explores the transition to the Lorraine dynasty, which focused on science, hygiene, and infrastructure rather than artistic propaganda. It features connections with Flanders and the Germanic world, including a cabinet by Giovan Battista Foggini and a portrait of Gian Gastone de' Medici by Franz Ferdinand Richter. The show examines the influence of scientific discoveries on painting, such as the evolution of vedutismo through the camera obscura, and the rise of the Rococo style, which turned to nature instead of classical models. Verde emphasizes the modern aspects of the 18th century, including the development of the bourgeoisie and a freer aristocracy.