It is dedicated to the Perugian miniaturist Cesare Franchi known as Pollino, a refined sixteenth-century artist who represents, in this context, one of the excellences of European art, the new exhibition initiative of the National Gallery of Umbria.
A well-known artist and illuminator in his day, he met a tragic end, as he was guilty of a murder committed in Perugia during the Carnival, and was executed at "the source in the square" on Monday 20 February 1595.
Cesare Franchi painted his miniatures with surprising detail and refinement, creating very elaborate scenes populated by numerous figures in the small format.
To look at this microcosm of great elegance and be able to appreciate every detail, the visitor will be provided with magnifying glasses that will allow him to become fully aware of the extraordinary ability of this artist, nicknamed Pollino "for his poor eyesight", from the Latin adjective pullus that is dark, resulting from the daily visual effort imposed on him by his work. An ancient and contemporary way of discovering the visual secrets of a work of art.
Treated with an eccentric and unconventional spirit, Pollino's works are imbued with a Nordic and international culture that projects Perugia itself at the center of a surprising artistic crossroads and worthy of further critical insights.
The exhibition, whose scientific project was curated by a Committee composed of Elena De Laurentiis, Duccio Marignoli, Marco Pierini, Simonetta Prosperi Valenti, Giovanna Sapori and Laura Teza, is realized with the collaboration of the Marignoli Foundation of Montecorona di Spoleto, engaged in studies and research in the field of the history of art and culture in Italy with particular regard to the regional territory, by the Friends of the National Gallery of Umbria, which financed the restoration of miniatures, and by Luxottica, a world leader in the field of optics, which provided the powerful magnifying glasses that will allow visitors to 'discover' the miniatures, detail after detail, retracing, among other things, the methods of making the works themselves.