The Seduction of Color: Andrea Solario Between Milan and Renaissance France
From March to June 30, 2025, the Museo Poldi Pezzoli in Milan, Italy presents, for the first time, a monographic exhibition dedicated to Andrea Solario (ca. 1470–1524), one of the most elegant and refined Milanese painters of the early 16th century. The title, “The Seduction of Color”, highlights the luminous quality of his painting—an expression of his personal synthesis of Italian and Northern European influences. This exhibition is the result of a bold and philologically rigorous project, born from the desire to restore critical recognition to an artist who has been overlooked by the broader public for far too long.
LEFT: Andrea Solario, Riposo durante la fuga in Egitto, 1515, Panel painting, Milan, Museo Poldi Pezzoli, Milan; RIGHT: Andrea Solario, Madonna con il Bambino (Madonna del cuscino verde), c. 1510, Panel painting (canvas incorporated into the ground layer), Paris, Musée du Louvre, Département des Peintures, © GrandPalaisRmn (Musée du Louvre) / Michel Urtado
Between Venice, Milan, and the French Court
Andrea Solario was born around 1470, likely in Milan, into a family of artists originally from Carona, on Lake Lugano. His father and brother Cristoforo were sculptors and architects; Andrea initially shared a workshop with Cristoforo in the parish of San Babila before fully dedicating himself to painting. His artistic training unfolded in a richly stimulating environment, marked by the presence of Leonardo da Vinci in Milan and by contact with the Venetian school, particularly with Giovanni Bellini, during a documented stay in the lagoon city in the 1490s.
From the very beginning, Solario demonstrated a keen sensitivity to color and an extraordinary ability to blend diverse elements: the softness of Leonardo’s influence, the luminous clarity of the Venetian Renaissance, and the almost miniature-like precision of Northern European painting. His career would eventually extend beyond Italy’s borders: between 1507 and 1510, he worked in Normandy at the Château de Gaillon, invited by Cardinal Georges d’Amboise. There, he created some of his most celebrated masterpieces, including the “Madonna del cuscino verde”, now housed in the Louvre. Upon returning to Milan, he became a court painter under the Sforza government, receiving prestigious commissions such as the portrait of “Grand Chancellor Gerolamo Morone”. Solario died in 1524, leaving behind a relatively small body of work, yet one of remarkable quality—highly valued by collectors since the 19th century.
LEFT: Andrea Solario, Testa di San Giovanni Battista, 1507, Panel painting (canvas incorporated into the ground layer), Paris, Musée du Louvre, Département des Peintures. © GrandPalaisRmn (Musée du Louvre) / Franck Raux; RIGHT: Andrea Solario, Cleopatra, c. 1515, Panel painting transferred to canvas, Private collection, fotodarte
Masterpieces Reunited in Italy for the First Time
The exhibition features 24 autograph works by Andrea Solario, gathered from public and private collections, many of which have never before been shown in Italy. Among the prestigious lenders are the Musée du Louvre, the National Gallery in London, the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, the Pinacoteca di Brera, the Uffizi Galleries, and other leading institutions.
Art and Science: An Inquiry into the Master's Technique
What sets this exhibition apart is its scientific and philological approach. The Museo Poldi Pezzoli has launched a comprehensive diagnostic campaign on Solario’s works, in collaboration with Italy’s National Research Council (CNR) and the restoration laboratories of the Louvre. Conducted on the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the artist’s death, these analyses have shed new light on Solario’s painting techniques and stylistic development. The findings will be shared during a dedicated international symposium, further enriching the scholarly value of the exhibition.
LEFT: Andrea Solario, Ritratto di donna, c. 1500–1505, Panel painting, Milan, Pinacoteca del Castello Sforzesco, Pinacoteca del Castello Sforzesco – © Comune di Milano / AlephComo 2024; RIGHT: Andrea Solario, Ritratto di Charles d’Amboise, c. 1510, Panel painting, Paris, Musée du Louvre, Département des Peintures, © GrandPalaisRmn (Musée du Louvre) / Franck Raux
The design studio Migliore+Servetto has conceived a refined and immersive exhibition layout, centered on deep bordeaux tones and geometric scenography that envelops the artworks in a visually balanced rhythm. The display is punctuated by pauses and angled perspectives that guide the viewer's gaze and suggest narrative and formal pathways. The overall experience is designed as a kind of “contemplative journey” through light and color.
LEFT: Andrea Solario, Ecce Homo, c. 1500–1505, Panel painting, Milan, Museo Poldi Pezzoli, Museo Poldi Pezzoli, Milan; RIGHT: Andrea Solario, Ritratto di giovane, c. 1490–1494, Panel painting, Milan, Pinacoteca di Brera, © Pinacoteca di Brera, Milan – MiC
A Dialogue Between Past and Present: Robert Wilson in the Exhibition
Unexpectedly, the exhibition includes a contemporary intervention by American artist and director Robert Wilson. The work, taken from his 'Video Portraits series and inspired by Solario’s “Head of Saint John the Baptist”, establishes a dialogue between Renaissance painting and contemporary pop culture through the face of Lady Gaga. It is a gesture that both disrupts and connects, revealing the enduring relevance of Solario’s vision.
LEFT: Exhibition Views: The Seduction of Color: Andrea Solario Between Milan and Renaissance France, Museo Poldi Pezzoli, Migliore Servetto, PH: Nicola Colia; RIGHT: Exhibition Views: The Seduction of Color: Andrea Solario Between Milan and Renaissance France, Museo Poldi Pezzoli, Migliore Servetto, PH: Nicola Colia.
An Inclusive Cultural Project for the Community
The Museo Poldi Pezzoli has made a conscious effort to ensure the exhibition is accessible to all, offering free guided tours for schools and vulnerable audiences, educational workshops in collaboration with the Scuola Orafa Ambrosiana, and special evening openings every Wednesday. With “The Seduction of Color”, Andrea Solario finally reclaims his rightful place in the history of Italian and European art. A painter who transcended geographic and stylistic boundaries, he remains a refined interpreter of light and the human condition.
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