Sandro Botticelli's (1445-1510) Pallas and the Centaur arrived from the Uffizi and was unpacked at a press conference on Friday.
Curator Vilmos Tátrai said the painting, completed around 1482, shows the goddess, who embodies divine knowledge, bringing under control the centaur, who is the expression of animal urges.
The painting was commissioned by the Medici family, as evidenced by their crest - three rings - on the woman's dress. (The Medicis' bank, established 1397, made the family one of the richest in Europe. They invested much of this wealth in the arts and the architecture of Florence, spurring the Italian Renaissance.) It is among the most important of Botticelli's works, alongside The Birth of Venus and Spring, said Baán, adding that it is insured for HUF 7.5 billion.
Baán noted that, although Botticelli is now considered to be one of the greatest artists of his era, it was not always so. After his death, his reputation suffered and it was not until the beginning of the 19th century that he achieved star status.
The Splendour of the Medici brings together some 200 works from 60 Italian collections. Among the artists reperesented are Donatello, Fra Angelico, Verocchio, Botticelli, Leonardo, Raffaello, Bronzino and Vasari. The works are insured for more than HUF 80 billion.
In addition to the paintings, statutes, drawings, jewellery and carpets are on display.
Baán said the cost of organising the exhibition was about HUF 300 million, of which HUF 80 million came from the budget for Hungary's Renaissance Year celebrations.
The Splendour of the Medici - Art and Life in Renaissance Florence runs from January 24 until May 18. The exhibition is sponsored by Unicredit Bank.
The exhibition is expected to attract at least 200,000 visitors, said Baán.
Admission is HUF 3,200, or HUF 2,800 of tickets are purchased in advance.
Source: Múlt-kor / Hungarian News Agency (MTI)
