Giorgio Gandini Del Grano: The Enigma of a Master in Correggio's Footsteps

October 17, 2026 - January 17, 2027
Monumental Complex of the Pilotta

Open Tuesday to Sunday from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm. Ticket office closes at 6:00 pm. Closed on Mondays.

One of the most fascinating and mysterious figures of the Emilian Renaissance.
Curated by Stefano L’Occaso and Denis Ton, the artist's entire oeuvre is on display for the first time.

A leading figure in the 16th-century so-called "School of Parma," the group of painters considered followers of Correggio, Gandini del Grano has long remained obscure due to the scant documentation surrounding his life, as well as the small number of his surviving works.

The exhibition project, which includes the presentation of important new documentary evidence and a first monographic catalog on the artist, exceptionally brings together all nine paintings by Gandini del Grano considered by critics to be autograph.

In addition to the San Michele Altarpiece, housed in the Pilotta Gallery, the artist's only other altarpiece, now in the Palazzo Pitti in Florence, is also on display. The rest of his oeuvre consists of seven small-format works, scattered among public institutions and private collections: three are housed in the Galleria Nazionale di Parma, one in the Pinacoteca dell'Accademia di Belle Arti in Turin, two others are in private collections in England, and one is at the Sinebrychoff Art Museum in Helsinki.

For this occasion, the paintings housed in the Galleria Nazionale di Parma will be exceptionally brought together in a single room along with various loans, highlighting similarities, variations, and developments within a body of work as small as it is significant. In particular, the artist is recognized for his ambition, unlike many of his contemporaries, to develop eccentric and daring solutions.

His painting, and even more so his graphic art, appears characterized by an internal tension, an almost nervous and tormented quality, which translates into results of the highest caliber but is difficult to adapt to large-scale undertakings. This quality is underscored by the numerous drawings on display, from major European institutions such as the Albertina in Vienna, the Musée du Louvre in Paris, the Gallerie dell'Accademia in Venice, and the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. Displayed alongside the paintings, the works on paper offer further insight into the language and technique of a long-forgotten artist.

From June 16 to July 15, 2026:
The Pilotta tour route has been partially modified due to ongoing construction work. Tickets: Full price €10, €2 for children 18-25, free for children under 18. Free admission on the first Sunday of the month.

For information:
complessopilotta.it
cm-pil@cultura.gov.it