Ecce Homo at Palazzo della Minerva, Rome: an Antonello da Messina panel

Ecce Homo at Palazzo della Minerva: Antonello da Messina panel exhibited in Rome

A compact painted panel attributed to Antonello da Messina is on temporary display in Rome following a recent acquisition in New York carried out by the Ministry of Culture. The presentation takes place in the Sala Capitolare of Palazzo della Minerva (the Senate Library) from 27 March to 7 April, ahead of the panel’s final placement at the Museo Nazionale d'Abruzzo.

Dating to around the mid-15th century, the double-sided board provides an early example of Antonello’s approach to the Ecce Homo motif and helps clarify the artist’s formal and expressive development.

• Support and size: painted panel on both sides, 20.3 × 14.9 × 1 cm.
• Recto: an early interpretation of the Ecce Homo attributed to Antonello.
• Verso: Saint Jerome the penitent set within a landscape with Northern European influences.
• Condition: light surface wear consistent with devotional practices, such as kissing the image.
• Recent provenance: acquired at a Sotheby’s sale in New York, February 2026, as part of national museums' enrichment activities.
• Final destination: Museo Nazionale d'Abruzzo (L'Aquila) after the Roman display.

The exhibition is organized by the Senate of the Republic in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture. For scholars and visitors interested in Antonello’s oeuvre, this panel sheds new light on the circulation of iconographic models and the interplay between Italian and Northern visual references during the artist’s early career.

Practical information:

• Venue: Sala Capitolare, Palazzo della Minerva, Rome (Senate Library)
• Exhibition dates: 27 March - 7 April
• Visiting details: check opening hours and access rules via the official channels of the Senate of the Republic