LEI. RITRATTI DI DONNE

Masterpieces from the National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art are on display in an exhibition featuring over 60 works—paintings, sculptures, drawings, photographs, and tapestries—arranged across 13 rooms. Together, they form a striking survey of perspectives on real and idealized female figures spanning more than two centuries of history. Some of the works are recent acquisitions, notably Nu Debout (Standing Nude), a pastel from around 1906 by Pablo Picasso, donated last year by the Cy Twombly Foundation.

The women depicted hail from different worlds and possess diverse ages, social standings, personalities, and destinies; yet, they all share the ability to convey a human experience that transcends the era in which they were portrayed. They range from Madame Ginoux (Vincent van Gogh’s L’Arlesienne), wife of the owner of the Café de la Gare in Arles, to the Marchesa Luisa Casati—an eccentric diva and collector immortalized by Giovanni Boldini; from the wealthy Polish aristocrat Hanka Zborowska (Amedeo Modigliani’s Woman with a Small Collar) to Carminella, a woman of the people whose story has faded into the shadows of time—though not under the brush of Antonio Mancini;

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from Palma Bucarelli (the woman who revolutionized Italian contemporary art while leading Rome’s National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art), painted by Savinio, to actress Elsa Martinelli as interpreted by Giosetta Fioroni.

A feminine imagery that both reveals and generates a multiplication of the female “Self” through other women.
In some instances, the subjects on display serve both as representations of reality and as potential variations of female identity. This gives rise to portraits of women with powerful personalities—their energy heightened by the “masterful” capture of a revealing gaze, a secret gesture, or a breath held just for a moment.

Produced by the Municipality of Parma and the National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art, in collaboration with Solares Fondazione delle Arti and with the support of the Cariparma Foundation and the Emilia-Romagna Region, the exhibition is curated by Renata Cristina Mazzantini and Cesare Biasini Selvaggi.

October 2, 2026 – March 8, 2027

Opening hours:
Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays: 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM (last entry at 6:00 PM); Fridays: 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM (last entry at 9:00 PM). Closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
Thursday, December 24 and Thursday, December 31: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM.

Special opening days: Tuesday, December 8: 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM; Monday, March 8: 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM. Closed on December 25 and January 1.

Guided tour for visitors over 65: every Thursday at 5:00 PM. No reservation required. Purchase a reduced-price admission ticket on-site; the tour itself is free.

Guided tour for visitors under 25: every Friday at 8:00 PM. No reservation required. Both the tour and admission are free.

• The exhibition is accessible to people with limited mobility.
• Small pets are allowed if carried in arms or in a pet carrier.
• The nearest parking facilities are Parcheggio Toschi and Parcheggio La Galleria. Holders of disability parking permits may park in designated spaces along Strada della Repubblica, provided they notify Infomobility of their vehicle details.

Groups and schools – reservation required at info.cultura@comune.parma.it
Schools: €2.00 per student. For groups of at least 10 people, reservation required at info.cultura@comune.parma.it; €8.00 per person.

Tickets available on Vivaticket as well as at the IAT (Tourist Information Office), authorized Vivaticket outlets, and the exhibition ticket office.

Rates: Full price (fixed date): €12.00; Reduced: €8.00; Partner rate: €5.00; Exhibition catalogue: €34.00.

Reduced-price tickets valid for: young people up to age 25 (Fridays from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM), those over 65, those under 16, active teachers, university professors*, Auser members and “Mi impegno a Parma” volunteers, local residents, groups with mandatory reservation (minimum 10 people), ARCI cardholders*, law enforcement and military personnel*, and THOSE ARRIVING AT THE EXHIBITION VIA SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT: bus, train, bike-sharing, or car-sharing (upon presentation of proof).

Reduced-price tickets valid for the following partners*: employees of the Complesso Monumentale della Pilotta, Amici della Pilotta, university students, Fiere di Parma, Fondazione Magnani Rocca, Labirinto della Masone, Festival Verdi, Parma Welcome and tour operators, and Camera di San Paolo.

Free tickets valid for: Municipality of Parma employees, children up to age 6, one chaperone per booked group, one chaperone per 10 students, people with disabilities and their companion, licensed tour guides*, tour escorts*, interpreters accompanying guides*, ICOM cardholders, and journalists registered with the professional order*

*upon presentation of ID card/credentials