From 14 March to 23 August 2026, Palazzo Strozzi presents Rothko in Florence, a major exhibition dedicated to one of the leading figures of American modern art.
Curated by Christopher Rothko and Elena Geuna, the exhibition has been conceived especially for Florence and brings together more than seventy works from major international museums and prestigious private collections.
The exhibition traces the full development of Mark Rothko’s art: from the figurative paintings of the 1930s and 1940s and the compositions influenced by Surrealism to the celebrated works of his mature period, created through large fields of colour suspended in space.
An exhibition conceived for Florence
Palazzo Strozzi is not merely a prestigious setting for the exhibition. The project arises from the deep relationship Rothko developed with Florence, its architecture and some of the most important figures of Renaissance art.
The artist first visited the city in 1950, during a journey through Italy with his wife Mell, and returned in 1966. He was particularly impressed by the frescoes by Fra Angelico in the convent of San Marco and by the Vestibule of the Laurentian Library, designed by Michelangelo.
The proportions of Renaissance architecture, the light of the frescoes and the ability to create a space intended for meditation offered Rothko important opportunities for reflection. The exhibition highlights this dialogue between his painting and the Florentine artistic tradition.
From figuration to large fields of colour
The exhibition follows a chronological path, showing how Rothko gradually developed the visual language for which he is now universally known.
His early works retain figures, interiors, references to mythology and influences from Expressionism and Surrealism. During the 1940s, the forms became progressively freer and dissolved into the so-called Multiforms, compositions in which colour acquired increasing autonomy.
Between the late 1940s and the 1950s, Rothko developed his mature language: large rectangular fields appear to float and overlap on the canvas. Their edges are not sharply defined, the colours seem to breathe and the light appears to come from within the painting.
Faced with these paintings, the viewer is not simply asked to recognise forms or subjects. The work becomes a physical and emotional experience, capable of altering the perception of space and requiring time, attention and silence.
More than seventy works from major collections
The exhibition brings together more than seventy works, many of which have never previously been shown in Italy. Loans come from some of the world’s leading museums, including the Museum of Modern Art 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 the large canvases of Rothko’s mature period, the exhibition includes figurative paintings, watercolours, works on paper and studies connected with his major mural projects. This variety reveals that Rothko’s language did not emerge suddenly, but was the result of a long and consistent exploration of colour, light, architecture and the presence of the viewer.
The sections at the Museum of San Marco and the Laurentian Library
The project does not end in the rooms of Palazzo Strozzi, but continues in two places that were particularly significant to Rothko’s experience of Florence.
At the Museum of San Marco, five works are displayed in five cells frescoed by Fra Angelico. This encounter creates a remarkable connection between artists separated by centuries but united by their ability to use light and colour to create an intimate and contemplative space.
In the Vestibule of the Laurentian Library, two works enter into dialogue with Michelangelo’s architecture. The tension of the walls, columns and monumental staircase helps visitors understand Rothko’s interest in environments capable of completely involving those who enter them.
The special sections require separate tickets and follow different opening hours from Palazzo Strozzi. It is therefore advisable to plan the three visits in advance.
Why visit Rothko in Florence
Rothko in Florence is not simply a retrospective devoted to a major twentieth-century artist. It is an exhibition designed to connect modern painting, Renaissance architecture and some of the city’s most powerful and evocative places.
The exhibition also introduces visitors to the artist’s lesser-known works, explains the origins of his large abstract compositions and shows how colour can be transformed into space, emotion and meditation.
To fully appreciate Rothko’s canvases, it is best not to move through the rooms too quickly. Pausing in front of a painting, observing how its colours change and allowing yourself to become involved in the relationship between the work and its surroundings are essential parts of the experience.
Include the exhibition in your Florence itinerary
A visit to Palazzo Strozzi can be combined with an itinerary devoted to twentieth-century art or to the Florentine places that inspired Rothko, including the Museum of San Marco, the Basilica of San Lorenzo and the Laurentian Library.
I am Giulia Bacci, an art historian and licensed tour guide in Florence. I can help you organise your stay and create an itinerary connecting the exhibition with the artistic history of the city.
