Urbino's Palazzo Ducale Hosts Major Simone Cantarini Exhibition

The Galleria Nazionale delle Marche continues its celebration of regional artists with a new exhibition dedicated to Simone Cantarini (1612–1648), following a 2024 monographic show on Federico Barocci. Titled 'Simone Cantarini (1612–1648). Un giovane maestro tra Pesaro, Bologna e Roma,' the exhibition runs until October 12, 2025, at Palazzo Ducale in Urbino. Curated by Luigi Gallo, Anna Maria Ambrosini Massari, and Yuri Primarosa, it features 56 paintings that explore Cantarini's creative output, from portraiture and sacred art to philosophical and profane compositions. The show highlights Cantarini's early work in his native region, his ties to the Barberini family—particularly Cardinal Antonio Barberini junior—his workshop practices, and his fraught relationship with Guido Reni in Bologna, stemming from a dispute over the 'Trasfigurazione di nostro Signore' commissioned by the Barberini in 1637 for the church of Forte Urbano in Castelfranco. Director Luigi Gallo emphasized the collaboration with the Gallerie Nazionali d'Arte Antica di Roma and the restoration of numerous canvases funded by Palazzo Ducale, the Gallerie Nazionali d'Arte Antica, and private sponsors. The exhibition also marks the acquisition of several Cantarini works from the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Pesaro and the Pinacoteca di Brera as part of the '100 opere tornano a casa' project, enriching the Galleria Nazionale delle Marche's collection.