Furor Over Painting's Move

The NY Times had this nugget the other day:

"Italy may have insured "The Annunciation," a Leonardo Da Vinci masterpiece, for $132 million, but opponents of its planned loan to Japan have appealed to the culture minister, Francesco Rutelli, to cancel the trip, Reuters reported. Some protesters have even threatened to chain themselves to the Uffizi Gallery in Florence to prevent the 15th-century painting, more than six feet long, from leaving on March 12. In Japan, the painting, depicting a seated Virgin Mary being approached by an angel, is to be displayed in a series of exhibitions celebrating Leonardo and other Italian artists. Cristina Acidini, an art historian and the superintendent of the Polo Museale Fiorentino, which oversees Florence's museums, said conservationists had examined the painting and given clearance for the transfer. "From a conservation point of view there was no reason for us to deny the loan," she said. But some experts, including Antonio Natali, the Uffizi's director, say the painting is too delicate and precious for the long flight."

Last update: July 11, 2023 12:28 AM