Van Dyck the European. The journey of a genius from Antwerp to Genoa and London

Van Dyck and Genoa, a deep connection

Anton Van Dyck (1599-1641), a pupil of Rubens and one of the greatest portraitists in art history, stayed in Genoa between 1621 and 1627, painting the aristocracy of the 'Superba' (Genoa's nickname) and leaving an indelible mark on European portraiture. The exhibition Van Dyck the European, hosted at Palazzo Ducale, recounts this very connection, placing it within the broader journey of the artist from Antwerp to London.

An exhibition of international scope

The exhibition brings together around 58 works by the master, organized into ten thematic sections that trace the stages of his career between Flanders, Italy, and England. This is the most extensive monograph on Van Dyck in the last twenty-five years, made possible by exceptional loans from 32 European museums, including the Louvre, the Prado, and the Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid, the National Gallery in London, the Uffizi, the Pinacoteca di Brera, and the Royal Museums of Turin.

Portraiture as a mirror of power

Curated by Anna Orlando and Katlijne Van der Stighelen, the exhibition highlights Van Dyck's ability to transform portraiture into a tool for representing power and social status. A reading that takes on particular significance in Genoa, as many of the families portrayed lived in the palaces that today form the UNESCO World Heritage Rolli system.

In the heart of the city

The exhibition is set up in the Doge's Apartment at Palazzo Ducale, in the heart of Genoa, in Liguria. Visiting the exhibition thus means admiring the masterpieces of the Flemish master in the very spaces where his Genoese fortune took shape.