A groundbreaking exhibition titled “Modern Bodies. The Construction of the Body in Renaissance Venice” is on display at the Gallerie dell’Accademia through July 27, 2025. Curated by Giulio Manieri Elia, Guido Beltramini, and Francesca Borgo, the show explores the revolutionary transformation of the human body from a biological subject to a powerful cultural construct during the Venetian Renaissance.
The exhibition offers a rich and multifaceted narrative of how the body became a focus of scientific inquiry, artistic idealization, and personal expression between the 15th and 16th centuries. Through a compelling mix of art, science, and material culture, “Modern Bodies” demonstrates how Renaissance thinkers and artists redefined the human figure as both a symbol and a subject of knowledge.
Among the highlights are masterpieces by Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Albrecht Dürer, Titian, Giorgione, and Giovanni Bellini, alongside rare scientific instruments, anatomical models, period clothing, manuscripts, and everyday objects that contextualize the evolving understanding of the body.
A centerpiece of the exhibition is the long-awaited return of Leonardo’s Vitruvian Man, on public display for the first time in six years. Shown in dialogue with an ancient Greek metrological relief, this pairing invites reflection on the enduring concepts of “measure” and the “ideal body”, connecting Renaissance ideals to their classical roots.
An unmissable journey through the Renaissance mind and body.
Website: www.gallerieaccademia.it
Location: Accademia Galleries, Venice
Schedule: until July 27, 2025
