From 14 March to 23 August 2026, Florence will become the epicentre of international attention with a major Mark Rothko retrospective presented by Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi. Among the most anticipated exhibitions Florence has announced in recent years, the project brings one of the leading figures of 20th-century art into direct dialogue with the city that profoundly shaped his vision. Conceived specifically for Palazzo Strozzi, the exhibition unfolds as an immersive journey into Rothko’s emotional, spiritual, and chromatic universe.
Curated by Christopher Rothko and Elena Geuna, the exhibition retraces the artist’s entire career through more than 70 works on loan from prestigious institutions including MoMA and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, Tate in London, the Centre Pompidou in Paris, and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, alongside significant private collections.
Abstract Expressionism and the language of colour
Widely regarded as one of the most poetic voices of Abstract Expressionism, Rothko transformed painting into a space of contemplation and existential intensity. The exhibition explores how he translated the tension between classical harmony and expressive freedom into colour fields that appear to dissolve the boundaries of the canvas. Early works from the 1930s and 1940s reveal a gradual move away from figuration, influenced by mythology, Surrealism, and archaic imagery, toward increasingly essential forms.
Among the key works presented are early figurative and myth-inspired paintings that illustrate Rothko’s search for a universal visual language, as well as transitional compositions in which symbolic elements give way to floating chromatic structures. These works trace the intellectual and emotional foundations that would later define his mature period.
Colour Field paintings and immersive scale
The heart of the exhibition is devoted to Rothko’s celebrated large-format Color Field paintings from the 1950s and 1960s. In these monumental canvases, blocks of luminous colour hover and pulse, inviting viewers into an intimate, almost meditative encounter. Designed to envelop the spectator physically and emotionally, these works exemplify Rothko’s belief that painting should provoke profound inner experience rather than visual spectacle.
Several of these paintings, shown in Italy for the first time, demonstrate how scale became a structural element of his practice, reinforcing the sense of silence, gravity, and transcendence that defines his mature style.
Exhibitions in Florence: a city-wide dialogue
Extending beyond Palazzo Strozzi, the project establishes a unique dialogue with Florence itself. Two satellite presentations take place at the Museo di San Marco and the Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana. At San Marco, selected works are shown in conversation with Fra Angelico’s frescoes, highlighting a shared contemplative intensity that transcends historical and iconographic differences. At the Laurenziana, Michelangelo’s architectural spaces provide a striking counterpoint to Rothko’s exploration of colour and spatial perception.
Together, these sites transform the retrospective into a city-wide experience, positioning Rothko not only as a central figure of modern American art, but also as an artist deeply connected to the legacy of Renaissance Florence. As one of the most ambitious exhibitions Florence will host in 2026, the project offers a rare opportunity to rediscover Rothko through the lens of place, history, and enduring emotional power.
