There are exhibitions that add something new. And then there are those that change everything. Michelangelo: Toward the Myth. New Light on Tiberio Titi from the Restoration, at the Casa Buonarroti from April 1 to September 30, is one of those experiences that redefine the way we see things.
It is not just an exhibition, but a layered narrative that weaves together memory, the construction of myth, and rediscovery. At its heart lies a painting that remained virtually invisible for centuries—and is now finally restored to its full visual power.
The painting we had never truly seen
The protagonist is the Placement of Michelangelo’s Bust on the Tomb at Santa Croce (1618–1620), signed by Tiberio Titi. A surprising work not only for its quality but for its subject: no other painting depicts this moment.
The scene depicts the placement of the bust of Michelangelo Buonarroti on his tomb in the Basilica of Santa Croce. A symbolic, almost ritualistic gesture marking the definitive transition from life to myth.
Yet, for over four hundred years, this painting was never truly seen. Placed on the ceiling of the Gallery and fixed face down, it was distorted, obscured, almost erased.
The restoration radically changes the situation. It is not a simple cleaning: it is a revelation.
The light returns, and the story changes
Thanks to the restoration project supported by the Friends of Florence, the painted surface regains its depth and intensity. Contrasts are reignited, details emerge, and the scene comes together again.
A sophisticated play of light is revealed, composed of sharp shadows and sudden flashes, evoking a sensibility close to Caravaggio’s naturalism, yet filtered through Florentine culture.
And then there are the details: the artist’s signature, hidden for centuries; the quality of the pigments, such as the precious ultramarine blue; the meticulous rendering of the gestures.
It is not just the painting that reemerges. It is its creator.
Tiberio Titi, at last
For too long, Tiberio Titi remained on the margins of art history. The son of Santi di Tito, he inherited his father’s workshop and a solid training, becoming a court painter for the Medici and a highly regarded portraitist.
Then, slowly, he disappears from the grand narratives. The arrival of Justus Suttermans in Florence diminishes his official role. His name remains, but he loses his centrality.
This exhibition reverses that perspective. Here, Titi is not a secondary figure: he is a self-aware artist, capable of creating complex, theatrical, deeply narrative images.
Myth as a Project
The painting did not come about by chance. It is part of a precise plan, commissioned by Michelangelo Buonarroti the Younger, great-grandson of the great artist.
His goal is clear: to transform the memory of Michelangelo into a structured, visible, and shareable myth. The family home thus becomes a place of celebration, a cultural device ahead of its time.
In this context, Titi’s work takes on central importance. It does not merely recount an event: it constructs it, stages it, and renders it iconic.
It is painting, but it is also strategy.
Getting Inside the Restoration
One of the exhibition’s greatest strengths is its ability to draw visitors into the process. It doesn’t merely display the final result; it tells the story of the journey.
Videos, diagnostic analyses, and technical materials allow visitors to follow every stage of the restoration. We discover the canvas’s distortions, the cracks, and the solutions adopted to strengthen the fibers using natural materials.
Restoration becomes an integral part of the narrative. Not a behind-the-scenes look, but a layer of interpretation.
An exhibition that truly works
Curated by Cristina Acidini and Alessandro Cecchi, the exhibition is constructed with intelligence and restraint.
It doesn’t overload or sensationalize. It works by subtraction, leaving space for the artwork and its history.
Archival documents—from Michelangelo the Younger’s notebooks to receipts for materials—add depth without weighing the exhibition down.
Everything is calibrated to guide the viewer’s gaze.
Why visit
Because it’s rare to see an exhibition that truly manages to change one’s perception of a work.
Because it’s an opportunity to discover an artist who deserves much more attention.
Because it tells, in a subtle yet incisive way, how a myth is born.
And because, ultimately, it reminds us of a simple truth: even what we think we know can surprise us, if looked at closely.
The detail to remember
For centuries that painting has been there, above our heads. Invisible.
Now it is right in front of us. And we can no longer ignore it.
