Mark Rothko at Palazzo Strozzi

Several paintings in the exhibit at Palazzo Strozzi

From March 14 to August 23, 2026, Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi presents one of the most significant exhibitions ever dedicated to Mark Rothko (1903-1970), one of masters of American modern art. Curated by Christopher Rothko and Elena Geuna, Rothko in Florence is a project conceived specifically for this Renaissance palace - and the fit is nothing short of extraordinary. Rothko's monumental color fields, with their luminous, breathing edges and meditative depth, seem almost destined for these rooms. The palazzo's stone walls, soaring proportions, and ancient light don't merely frame the work - they resonate with it, amplifying the tension between classical restraint and expressive freedom that defined Rothko's entire vision. Standing before his canvases here, the boundary between painting and architecture quietly dissolves.

The exhibition traces Rothko's full career through over 70 works drawn from prestigious private collections and the world's leading museums, including MoMA and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Tate in London, the Centre Pompidou in Paris, and the National Gallery of Art in Washington.

The project extends beyond the palazzo walls into Florence itself, with two satellite exhibits at sites of special significance to the artist: the Museo di San Marco, where a selection of works enters into dialogue with the frescoes of Fra Angelico, and the Vestibule of the Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana - designed by Michelangelo - where Rothko's search for transcendence meets one of the Renaissance's most emotionally charged spaces.