From July 4th to August 4th, the National Gallery of Umbria will expose this exceptional work, which marks an important moment of Leonardo’s growth, showing his “modern way”.

A long journey from Saint Petersburg to Perugia brought the wonderful Virgin Benois from the Ermitage Museum collections to the National Gallery of Umbria: after 35 years since it last exhibited, the masterpiece of a young Leonardo Da Vinci is returns to Italy in occasion of his 500^th anniversary. This work will be on display from July 4^th to August 4^th, in an iconographic comparison between Leonardo and Pietro Vannucci, called Il Perugino (the Perugian).

The Virgin Benois, a popular icon in the world, is a crucial work of the young Leonardo Da Vinci. Probably painted between 1478 and 1480, it marks his independence from the style and the formation of Verrocchio, whose studio the master entered about 10 years earlier: a manifestation of the "Modern way" which the artist initiated. For his second work on one of the most common religious topics, at age of 26, the artist broke with tradition and invented a new image of the Virgin Mary: no more the unflappable Queen of Heaven, but a simple mother who plays with her son. 

This exhibition strengthens the connection between the National Gallery of Umbria and the Ermitage Museum of Saint Petersburg: The Laundress, a masterpiece by Jean Siméon Chardin of the Ermitage, was on display inthe Gallery for the "Bolle di sapone" exhibition, recently ended; last December the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary by Piero della Francesca, cymatium of the Polyptych of Saint Anthony, was exceptionally loaned by the Perugian Gallery to the Russian museum, that now decides to celebrate the genius of this great Tuscan artist in his birthplace.

Opening Hours:
From Tuesday to Sunday, 8:30 AM – 7:30PM;
Monday 12:00 PM-07:30 PM (last entry at 06:30 PM)

Information:
Tel. 075.58668436; gallerianazionaleumbria@beniculturali.it

Tickets/Bookshop:
Tel. 075.5721009; gnu@sistemamuseo.it
www.gallerianazionaleumbria.it