Veronese's First Major Spanish Retrospective Opens at the Prado

The Museo del Prado in Madrid hosts 'Paolo Veronese (1528–1588)', the first major monographic exhibition dedicated to the Venetian Renaissance master in Spain, running until September 21, 2025. Co-curated by Italian art historian Enrico Maria Dal Pozzolo (University of Verona) and Prado director Miguel Falomir, the show features over 100 works with significant international loans. Key Italian loans include 'The Feast in the House of Simon' from the Galleria Sabauda in Turin, 'The Rape of Europa' from the Doge's Palace in Venice, and the 'Adoration of the Magi' (Pala Cogollo) from the Museo Civico di Vicenza. The exhibition expands from an initial focus on small-format works to a comprehensive survey of Veronese's oeuvre, highlighting his orchestral, musical quality—as noted by critic Giulio Carlo Argan—and his ability to create a world both real and illusory, illuminated by an Olympian light. Dal Pozzolo emphasizes Veronese's cerebral nature, his transformation of particular details into ideals, and his realistic, almost philological depiction of Venetian craftsmanship. The show also addresses Veronese's 1573 Inquisition trial over his 'Last Supper' (later retitled 'Feast in the House of Levi'), which he resolved by changing the title, supported by the Doge and Council of Ten. The catalogue includes contributions from eleven specialists. Dal Pozzolo praises the Prado as a 'war machine' that combines spectacle, research, and art valorization without following trends.