Synopsis

The Journey of a genius from Antwerp to Genoa and London
from March 20 to July 19, 2026, Doge’s Apartment

The Palazzo Ducale presents the largest exhibition of the past 25 years dedicated to one of the most iconic artists in the history of international art and one of the most beloved by the general public: Anthony van Dyck.

A “genius” capable of transcending centuries and meeting the tastes of different social contexts and historical periods, both in terms of subject matter and painterly technique. Van Dyck was an artist who succeeded in bringing together a range of solutions and sensibilities drawn from various cultural environments and, at the same time, translating them into innovative artistic formulas.

The exceptional nature of the exhibition—conceived as a retrospective with an international outlook—lies in the truly extraordinary number of works by Van Dyck on display (58 works across ten thematic sections), on loan from the most important and authoritative museums in Europe, including the Louvre in Paris, the Prado and the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum in Madrid, and the National Gallery in London, as well as major Italian institutions such as the Uffizi Gallery, the Brera Picture Gallery in Milan, and the Royal Museums of Turin. Additional loans come from prestigious international foundations and collections, including Belgium’s Phoebus Foundation and Portugal’s Gaudium Magnum.

Van Dyck was a European painter in the literal sense of the term. The exhibition will present works from his important Italian period between 1621 and 1627, during which Genoa played a central role, as well as numerous works executed at different stages of his career in Flanders, his homeland, and in London, where he was invited to work for King Charles I of England. The painter’s artistic trajectory unfolds alongside the economic and political history of Europe.

The exhibition thus aims to be a journey of discovery of the Van Dyck of “three homelands” and “three distinct phases,” guiding visitors not through a strictly chronological path, but through thematic proposals that more clearly demonstrate how his art was able to adapt and mature—and above all, how it succeeded in winning the taste and favor of audiences, then as now.

Large-scale canvases will be on display, naturally immersing visitors in true theatrical scenes filled with color, characters, and evocative power. However, the exhibition will not focus solely on Van Dyck as a portraitist—the activity that made him famous and which will be represented by works from every phase of his career, from Antwerp to Italy and England. Visitors will also discover, perhaps for the first time, Van Dyck’s sacred works: a blend of theater and pathos, religion and emotion, more engaging than one might expect, thanks to the sheer beauty of his painting and his enduring ability to captivate his audience.

Genoa’s civic collections will play a significant role in welcoming visitors from outside the city as well as local audiences, through a program that enhances paintings by Van Dyck and his Northern contemporaries displayed in the magnificent spaces of the Museums of Strada Nuova (Palazzo Rosso and Palazzo Bianco). The enchantment and wonder of the Palazzo Ducale exhibition can thus continue through suggested itineraries in Genoa, the city where Van Dyck lived for a long time and where he left tangible traces of his presence

The exhibition is produced by Palazzo Ducale Fondazione per la Cultura, with the support of the Liguria Region and the Municipality of Genoa
Edited by Anna Orlando and Katlijne Van der Stighelen

GROUPS

Organized groups (min 9 – max 25 pax) to access the exhibition must make reservations via call center, writing to prenotazioni@palazzoducale.genova.it or calling 0108171604 (number active on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11.00 to 13.00 and on Wednesdays and Fridays from 14.00 to 16.00), without reservation it will not be possible to access.

School Groups 5 € (presale included)

Guide ITA 90.00 €

Guide ENG 100.00 €

Adult Groups 14.50 € (presale included), mandatory radio guide 30.00 € per group // If the guide has his own radio guide, he can use it without purchasing it at the ticket office

By purchasing tickets online, you can access the exhibition directly without having to go through the ticket office. Please note that access control will be required to show the supporting title for which the ticket was purchased and/or a discounted subscription.