Rothko in Florence: the city that helped shape his vision of painting

From 14 March to 23 August 2026, Palazzo Strozzi hosts Rothko in Florence, one of the most ambitious exhibitions ever organised in Italy on the American painter Mark Rothko. Curated by Christopher Rothko and Elena Geuna, the exhibition brings together more than 70 works spanning the artist’s entire career, from figurative paintings of the 1930s to the large abstract canvases that made him one of the most influential figures of 20th-century art. 

Yet the project is not limited to Palazzo Strozzi. It also extends across the city, involving two historic Florentine institutions: the Museum of San Marco and the Laurentian Library, both places that left a lasting impression on Rothko during his visits to Florence.

Rothko’s encounter with Florence

Rothko first visited Florence in 1950, during a trip to Italy with his wife Mell. During that journey he encountered works by Giotto, Fra Angelico and other Italian masters, as well as the architecture of Michelangelo. These experiences had a lasting impact on his understanding of painting and space. 

In particular, the artist was deeply struck by the Museum of San Marco, where Fra Angelico’s frescoes decorate the small monastic cells of the Dominican convent. The quiet atmosphere of these spaces and the contemplative quality of Angelico’s painting resonated strongly with Rothko’s own search for a form of spiritual experience in art.

Rothko would return to Florence again in 1966, confirming the importance of the city in his artistic imagination. 

A dialogue with Fra Angelico

One of the most distinctive aspects of the exhibition is the section installed at the Museum of San Marco, where several works by Rothko are presented in dialogue with the frescoes painted by Fra Angelico in the 15th century.

The comparison may seem unexpected: a Renaissance friar and a leading figure of American abstract expressionism. Yet both artists were deeply concerned with the possibility of painting to evoke a sense of transcendence.

Fra Angelico’s frescoes combine a simple visual language with a powerful spiritual presence. Rothko pursued a similar goal through entirely different means. His large canvases composed of floating fields of colour were intended to create an intense emotional experience, inviting viewers into a silent and contemplative encounter with the painting.

According to the curators, the exhibition explores this shared dimension. Angelico’s quiet devotional imagery and Rothko’s abstract compositions both attempt to express inner states that lie beyond ordinary representation. 

Painting, architecture and the Florentine experience

The exhibition also highlights Rothko’s interest in the relationship between painting and architecture. During his travels in Italy he was fascinated by spaces such as the vestibule of the Laurentian Library, designed by Michelangelo.

The architectural tension of that space, with its heavy walls and blocked windows, later influenced Rothko’s thinking when he developed immersive projects such as the Seagram Murals. 

These works show how Rothko began to imagine painting not simply as an image on a wall, but as an environment capable of surrounding the viewer and shaping their emotional experience.

Practical information

Rothko in Florence
Palazzo Strozzi, Florence
14 March – 23 August 2026

The exhibition is organised by the Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi in collaboration with the Museum of San Marco and the Laurentian Library, both institutions of the Italian Ministry of Culture. 

The project brings together works from major international museums including the Museum of Modern Art 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.

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