The King's Painter. Norfini in the Italy of Risorgimento
From December 20 2025 to April 26 2026, the National Museums of Lucca, in the Casermetta di Villa Guinigi and the rooms of Palazzo Mansi, and the Palazzo Galeotti Museum in Pescia will host Il pittore del Re. Luigi Norfini nell'Italia del Risorgimento, the first major monographic exhibition dedicated to Luigi Norfini (Pescia 1825 – Lucca 1909), on the occasion of the bicentenary of his birth.
A central figure in the construction of the Risorgimento imagination and a protagonist of Tuscan cultural life in the late nineteenth century, Norfini is now back in the spotlight with a project that rediscovers his modernity and his role as an interpreter of the new national identity.
Curated by Luisa Berretti, Emanuele Pellegrini and Ettore Spalletti, the exhibition offers a unique opportunity to relive a crucial period in Italian art. Spread across several venues, the heart of the project is located in the Casermetta of the National Museum of Villa Guinigi: here, for the first time, numerous paintings are brought together and compared with works by leading figures in Risorgimento painting – such as Giovanni Fattori, his friend and contemporary, Silvestro Lega and Telemaco Signorini – together with loans from museums in Milan, Turin and Florence and from private collections, many of which have never been exhibited to the public. Among these, some are owned by the painter's heirs, without whom this project could not have been realised.
The exhibition, setup by Luigi Cupellini, is ideally complemented by Norfini's works preserved in the permanent collection of the National Museum of Palazzo Mansi, also in Lucca, and in the recently refurbished Civic Museum of Palazzo Galeotti in Pescia, where paintings and drawings by the artist are on display.
Trained at the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence under the guidance of Giuseppe Bezzuoli, Norfini participated in the Wars of Independence as a volunteer at Curtatone, producing a series of drawings directly in the field that remain among the most vivid testimonies of the Risorgimento. Linked to the House of Savoy and the academic institutions of Florence and Lucca, where he also held the position of director, he was intensely involved in public life, organising exhibitions and promoting the preservation of artistic heritage. In Lucca, the city where he spent his mature years, he became a point of reference for local and national figurative culture.
Among the most emblematic works are two monumental battle scenes on loan from the National Museum of the Risorgimento in Turin and Milan respectively: the first, entitled Vittorio Emanuele II and the Zouaves. Victory at Palestro (1863), which will be restored for the exhibition by the La Venaria Reale Conservation and Restoration Centre, and the second, Carlo Felice Nicolis, Count of Robilant, wounded in the left hand, continues to give orders to his artillery, also known as The Battle of Novara (1859). The dialogue between the two large paintings will offer visitors the opportunity to immerse themselves in the passions and ideals of the Italian Risorgimento.
Organised into thematic sections, the exhibition not only highlights the painter's history and career, but also traces Italian history from unification to the early 20th century, evoking the protagonists and episodes that marked its path – from Silvio Pellico to Vincenzo Gioberti and Giuseppe Giusti. It brings together evocative and little-known works: alongside the large canvases depicting episodes from the battles of the Wars of Independence, which soon came into the possession of King Victor Emmanuel II, works by Ademollo, Fattori, Lega and Signorini are on display, creating an unprecedented and stimulating comparison.
The itinerary is further enriched by significant paintings, such as King Victor Emmanuel's Visit to Brolio Castle (ca. 1870), painted for the Ricasoli Barons in Brolio, in Chianti, for whom he decorated the castle, testimony to his strong bond with Bettino Ricasoli, and the canvas The Duke of Monmouth Begging Pardon (1873), created for the English collector Frederick Stibbert, belonging to the historical genre, and a series of portraits of the nascent bourgeoisie, as well as the last, evocative studio interiors. The exhibition also provided an opportunity to breathe new life into the renovated spaces of Villa Guinigi and Palazzo Galeotti in Pescia and, in the latter case, to present to the public works that had been restored and brought out of storage for the occasion.
Educational activities and workshops for schools will be organised by the museums' educational services, along with guided tours led by specialists and workshops dedicated to schools, in order to introduce audiences of all ages to Norfini and the context of his time. A catalogue published by Maria Pacini Fazzi Editore will accompany the exhibition.
Luigi Norfini
Painter, patriot and teacher, Luigi Norfini (Pescia, 1825 – Lucca, 1909) was an exceptional interpreter of his time. Trained at the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence with Giuseppe Bezzuoli and Luigi Mussini, the artist experienced the cultural ferment that animated 19th-century Tuscany, forming friendships with the leading painters of the time, including Giovanni Fattori and Silvestro Lega. Norfini experienced the Risorgimento first-hand: in 1848, he volunteered to fight at Curtatone, an experience that was fundamental to his personal life and artistic practice. The large canvases he dedicated to the battles of Novara, Palestro and San Martino depict the birth of Italy, but also the dignity and courage of the men and women who were building it.
His talent was soon recognised and appreciated by the Savoy family: he created several paintings for the first rulers of Italy, including the large portrait of Victor Emmanuel II for the Throne Room of the Quirinale Palace. In addition to historical painting, Norfini was a refined portraitist of the nascent Italian bourgeoisie: bankers, lawyers and scholars who relied on his brush to capture the essence of the individual with elegance and modernity. Director of the Royal Institute of Fine Arts in Lucca for over twenty years, a member of numerous academies and recipient of various awards, Norfini was a tireless promoter of culture and a highly regarded teacher, leaving a decisive mark on the many students with whom he maintained deep and affectionate relationships throughout his life.
The exhibition is promoted by the National Museums of Lucca, the Regional Directorate of Museums of Tuscany of the Ministry of Culture, the Municipality of Lucca, the IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca, the Palazzo Galeotti Museum, Pescia, and the Municipality of Pescia. It is organised with the support of the Cassa di Risparmio di Lucca Foundation, the General Directorate of Museums, the Region of Tuscany and the Caript Foundation.
For further information:
mn-lu.comunicazione@cultura.gov.it
Tel + 39 334 6537619