This spring, Florence welcomes one of the most ambitious retrospectives of Mark Rothko ever staged in Italy. It will follow amazing exhibitions including a show exploring Helen Frankenthaler’s oeuvre.

Opening on 14 March at Palazzo Strozzi, Rothko in Florence spans the artist’s entire career, from his early figurative work of the 1930s and 40s to the monumental color‑field paintings of his mature period. Running until 23 August 2026, the exhibition brings together more than 70 works borrowed from leading institutions including MoMA, the MET, Tate, Centre Pompidou, and the National Gallery of Art.

Rothko’s first visit to Florence in 1950 profoundly shaped his practice. The city’s light, colour, and proportion left an indelible mark, guiding his pursuit of painting as an immersive emotional experience. The exhibition highlights this connection, positioning Rothko’s abstract fields of color within a dialogue with Florence’s artistic and fantastic heritage.

Beyond Palazzo Strozzi, the show unfolds across the city. At the Museo di San Marco, Rothko’s works engage with Fra Angelico’s serene frescoes, exploring shared themes of contemplation and spirituality. Meanwhile, in the vestibule of Michelangelo’s Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana, his paintings interact with one of the Renaissance’s most dramatic architectural spaces. These site-specific presentations underscore the curators’ intent: to create a conversation between Rothko’s modernist abstraction and the city’s historical forms.

Curated by Christopher Rothko, the artist’s son, and Elena Geuna, the exhibition emphasises Rothko’s mastery of perception and light, revealing both subtle gestures and monumental statements in his paintings. For visitors, it is an opportunity to experience the emotional power of his color fields in a setting that resonates with the quiet intensity of Renaissance Florence. It promises to be one of the most important shows at Palazzo Strozzi.