Federico Barocci (1533-1612), a painter from Urbino, will be the protagonist of a major exhibition organized by the National Gallery of the Marche, hosted in the splendid setting of the Ducal Palace of Urbino from June 20 to October 6.

A painter, extraordinary draftsman, and innovative engraver, the artist left his mark on the Italian and European art scene for almost a century. Despite the unusual choice at the time to remain in his hometown, far from the major cultural and patronage centers, he managed to establish himself with tenacious effort as the most admired, sought-after, and highest-paid author of sacred paintings in the second half of the 16th century.

With loans from major national and international museums enriching the already very important collection of the National Gallery of the Marche, the exhibition, focusing on a single artist, brings together 76 paintings and drawings by Barocci, illustrating all the phases of his long career. For the first time, the artistic journey of the Urbino master is presented in a thematic arrangement, aimed at delving into the peculiarities of his production by placing it in the context of the great art of the 16th and 17th centuries.

The exhibition is divided into six narrative sections, arranged in a way that links the chronological progression of Barocci's work to a diachronic presentation organized according to the different themes of his painting.