600 years after the realisation of the Cycle of the True Cross for the church of Santo Stefano, the exhibition Empoli 1424. Masolino and the Dawn of the Renaissance brings together the largest number of works, never before presented, by the author who, alongside Masaccio and Beato Angelico, made a decisive contribution to the start of Renaissance painting in Florence in the 15th century.
The aim of the exhibition is to reconstruct the cultural context in which Masolino moved, whose works will be flanked by those of painters who shared his openness towards new stylistic solutions, such as Lorenzo Monaco, Gherardo Starnina, Giovanni Toscani and others.
From 6 April to 7 July 2024, the Museum of the Collegiate Church of Sant'Andrea and the Church of Santo Stefano in Empoli (FI) will host an extraordinary and unrepeatable art event, dedicated to Masolino da Panicale (1383/84 - 1436/40), an artist who, alongside Masaccio and Beato Angelico, made a decisive contribution to the start of Renaissance painting in Florence in the 15th century and who experienced one of the decisive moments of stylistic growth in the Tuscan city. In Empoli, in fact, he left some capital evidence such as the Pietà in the baptistery of the collegiate church of Sant'Andrea and other frescoes in the right transept of the church of Santo Stefano.
The exhibition entitled Empoli 1424. Masolino and the Dawn of the Renaissance, promoted and organised by the Municipality of Empoli and the Fondazione CR Firenze, under the patronage of the Ministry of Culture, the Region of Tuscany, the Metropolitan City of Florence, with the support of CEAM Group, AeA, Cerofolini srl, Fondazione SeSa, Sammontana spa, Unicoop Firenze, Ubics and the participation of Edison Network, directed by Cristina Gelli and curated by Andrea De Marchi, Silvia De Luca and Francesco Suppa, brings together the largest number of works, never before presented, by Masolino da Panicale, some preserved in Empoli, others coming from prestigious institutions such as the Uffizi Galleries in Florence, the Bargello Museum in Florence, the Vatican Picture Gallery, the Musée Ingres in Montauban, the church of Santa Maria del Carmine in Florence, the Museum of Palazzo Venezia in Rome, the Museum of San Matteo in Pisa and many others.
The exhibition is held on the occasion of the 600th anniversary of the realisation of one of Masolino's masterpieces, completed in 1424, namely the cycle of frescoes with the Stories of the True Cross for the chapel of the Compagnia della Croce in the church of Santo Stefano degli Agostiniani in Empoli, of which some very important fragments and sinopites still remain.
