Perhaps Italy’s most vibrant metropolis, Milan seamlessly blends historical grandeur with modern sophistication, making it one of Europe’s most fascinating destinations. The city is well known for its rich history, world-class museums and galleries, iconic landmarks, and thriving arts scene. This visit, especially planned by Nirvana Romell, will focus on two highly anticipated exhibitions, featuring the works of the great Spanish Renaissance masters, Francisco Goya and El Greco. Accompanied by Nirvana, these exhibitions will provide a unique opportunity to delve into the genius of two of Europe’s most influential painters.
The Goya exhibition (31 October 2023 – 3 March, 2024) promises to be a fascinating showcase of the artist’s remarkable career. The exhibition will trace Goya’s artistic evolution and focus on common denominators: Goya’s fantasy world, his experience of history, his attitude as an artist, recurring themes and his ideology.
In parallel, the El Greco exhibition (11 October 2023 – 4 February, 2024) will review the Cretan painter’s work from the perspective provided by the environment of the Mediterranean cities in which he was trained and where he worked. The focus will be on his Italian period when, between Rome and Venice, El Greco learned the lessons of the great Italian masters and his art changed completely.
These exhibitions taken together will also offer a wonderful and rare opportunity to explore the connections and contrasts between the works of these two Spanish masters. Further visits to the Pinacoteca di Brera, Giorgio Morandi exhibition and Leonardo’s Last Supper will enhance the experience of Milan’s vibrant art scene and provide the perfect accompaniment to these remarkable exhibitions
Trip Leader: Mrs Nirvana Romell
Nirvana has been lecturing on the social history of Western art for nearly 25 years and has presented numerous lectures to the Friends of the Whitworth. She has also worked on collection interpretations and museum staff training. Her passion is cultural travel and she has created many unique cultural tours in the Balkans, northern Italy, France, Sweden and South Africa. In her work, she links the past with the present by combining aesthetic, historical and social theoretical approaches to art and culture. Those who travelled with Nirvana have particularly praised her ability to engage the audience and use her solid grasp of the subject matter to impart a lasting understanding of the artists, artefacts and their broader context. She has accompanied nine previous Friends of the Whitworth visits also organised by Distant Horizons.