exhibition
Palazzo Madama
Turin
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Vedova Tintoretto. In dialogue

curated by Gabriella Belli e Giovanni Carlo Federico Villa

From 19 September 2025 to 12 January 2026, Palazzo Madama – Museo Civico d’Arte Antica of Turin and the Fondazione Emilio e Annabianca Vedova of Venice will be hosting the exhibition “Vedova Tintoretto. In Dialogue”, curated by Gabriella Belli e Giovanni Carlo Federico Villa. This exceptional event has been planned to bring together the art of two great Venetian painters, each of whom was one of the greatest artists of his time: Jacopo Robusti, known as Tintoretto (Venice, 1518-1594), and Emilio Vedova (Venice, 1919-2006). Their work will be read in parallel, so as to address the evolution of Vedova’s work in comparison with that of his chosen master, investigating similarities and consonant (or dissonant) themes underlying their individual expressive choices.

Tintoretto was fundamental for Vedova’s artistic training, and the exhibition at Palazzo Madama will underline the impetus and strength of the complex relationship between the two artists by juxtaposing masterpieces by both the Renaissance master and the exponent of Arte Informale.

The project for the exhibition stems from the exceptional opportunity to display – in Turin – one of the last and most paradigmatic works of Tintoretto’s human and artistic development: the “Self-Portrait” of 1588, on loan from the Musée du Louvre. A canvas that was more than just an iconographic model, but represented – as can be seen from the interpretations of Edouard Manet, who replicated it and considered it the most beautiful painting in the world, and from the writings of Jean-Paul Sartre – a sort of poetic and conceptual identification for many artists.

  • Jacopo Robusti detto Tintoretto, Autoritratto, 1588, olio su tela, Musée du Louvre, Parigi © GrandPalaisRmn (Musée du Louvre) / Jean-Gilles Berizzi;
  • Emilio Vedova, Autoritratto, 1940-1941, colori ad olio su tela, 50,2 × 40,2 cm Fondazione Emilio e Annabianca Vedova, Venezia;
  • Jacopo Robusti detto Tintoretto, Trinità, 1561-1562 circa, olio su tela, cm 123x184 Musei Reali - Galleria Sabauda, inv. 416;
  • Emilio Vedova, Interpretazione dal trasporto di San Marco dal Tintoretto, 1936, colori a pastello e carboncino su cartone, 98,8 × 69,5 cm. Fondazione Emilio e Annabianca Vedova, Venezia. Ph. Fabrizio Gazzarri, Milano;