Superb Line - Prints and Drawings from Genoa 1500–1800

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Superb Line - Prints and Drawings from Genoa 1500–1800

05 October, 2023 to 01 April, 2024


British Museum
Great Russell St, London, England

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Showcasing prints and drawings from Genoa's golden age, this display spotlights an artistic powerhouse that rivalled Venice, Florence and Rome.

From the 16th to the 18th centuries, the port city of Genoa was one of Italy's major artistic centres. Nicknamed 'La Superba' ('the proud one') by the Medieval poet Petrarch, it was among the wealthiest cities on the Italian peninsula, with strong trade links across Europe and beyond. 

These links and the riches they brought made Genoa a desirable destination for painters and sculptors wanting to study or find lucrative work. Superb line opens with works by the first major arrival, Raphael's pupil Perino del Vaga, who transformed the artistic scene when he came in 1528, introducing a new, modern manner seen in drawings like the Venus and Aeneas, which typifies his distinctive blend of graphic confidence and courtly stylishness.