Prompted by the recent arrival of two early-fourteenth-century Italian paintings in permanent collections of UK Galleries (Pietro Lorenzetti at the Ferens Art Gallery, Hull, and Giovanni da Rimini at the National Gallery, London) this panel presentation explores the mechanisms behind such acquisitions, and the challenges and opportunities in presenting unfamiliar material to present-day gallery visitors. How can museums and galleries introduce such works to a wider public, communicate the significance of these rare acquisitions, encourage viewers to engage fruitfully with them, and integrate these works into their permanent displays? And how do present-day approaches compare with those of previous centuries?
Panel members include curators involved in these acquisitions and interpretations, at Hull and at the National Gallery, and in the redisplay of the early Italian paintings of the Lycett Green Collection in the permanent collection at York Art Gallery. A series of short presentations will be followed by panel discussion.