The display, entitled Awakened: The Ruins of Antiquity and the Birth of the Italian Renaissance, was launched on Monday night by the Polish and Italian culture ministers.
It is the first such comprehensive exploration of these periods in Poland and features a broad range of ancient and early Renaissance art, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
The exhibition focuses primarily on the Italian Quattrocento period, or the 15th-century era, characterized by the rediscovery and revival of classical Greco-Roman traditions.
Photo: PAP/Marcin Obara
With over 160 exhibits on display, the collection is sourced from more than 50 institutions and private collections around the world, with notable contributions from the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Borghese Gallery in Rome, the Louvre in Paris, the British Museum in London, and the National Gallery of Art in Washington.
Mikołaj Baliszewski, the curator of the exhibit, said that "the works from the 15th and early 16th centuries are accompanied by ancient artifacts."
He added: "From the first room to the last, the art of both eras engages in a dialogue, showcasing the revival of ancient forms and the methods employed by the artists of that time."
Baliszewski further highlighted that Awakened is about the need to reach out to the heritage of antiquity and noted that "there are unchanging fascinations, tracks, ideas in European culture."
Works from masters such as Pietro Perugino, Giovanni Bellini, Sandro Botticelli, Donato Bramante and Andrea del Verrocchio are part of the exhibition.
Photo: PAP/Marcin Obara
Prof. Wojciech Fałkowski, director of Warsaw's Royal Castle, emphasized that this is an exhibition about Italian culture, which was the foundation of modern European culture.
"Turning towards Italy is natural for the Castle because that's where the ideas, models and inspirations were born, which then expanded across the entire continent," he said.
Piotr Gliński, Poland's Minister of Culture and National Heritage, told reporters: "The exhibition tells the story of the art of the Italian Quattrocento, arguably the most significant cultural breakthrough in history—a shift fueled by the passionate discovery of the monuments and ideas of the ancient Romans and Greeks, which resulted in transformations in all areas of life, across Europe."
Poland's Culture Minister Piotr Gliński speaks at the launch of the Awakened: The Ruins of Antiquity and the Birth of the Italian Renaissance exhibition at Warsaw's Royal Castle on Monday, July 17, 2023. Photo: PAP/Marcin Obara
Italy's Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano stressed the importance of the event for "reinforcing the ties of Polish-Italian friendship."
He said: "Botticelli, Bramante, Mantegna, Verrocchio, and Pietro Vannucci, also known as Perugino, whose 500th death anniversary falls this year, played a pivotal role in the art of this era. I'm delighted that in the coming months, the Polish public will be able to admire these masterpieces."
Italian Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano. Photo: PAP/Marcin Obara
The exhibition runs until October 15.
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Source: PAP
Click on the audio player above to listen to a report by Radio Poland's Agnieszka Bielawska.
