‘From the Fleur de Lis to the David. Civic art in Florence from the middle ages to the renaissance.’
Galleria dell’Accademia, Florence
14th May 2013 – 6th January 2014
A most unusual and fascinating-sounding exhibition this, focusing on commissioned works of ‘Civic art’ in the Florence that came before the Medici claimed the city as their own.
These works, decorative pieces to enliven the outside of municipal buildings (lest that sound dull, remember that Michelangelo’s David himself is just such a piece), were commissioned by guilds and magistrates and show, alongside the evident skill of great artisans, the political and cultural influences of competing factions such as the Guelphs and the Ghibellines.
The exhibition furthermore aims to encourage visits to the buildings for which these works were destined, an unusual route towards demonstrating some of Florence’s less famous destinations.