Francesco Vaccarone at Palazzo Merulana: the Roman Years (1970-1976)

Francesco Vaccarone at Palazzo Merulana: the Roman Years (1970-1976)

Palazzo Merulana hosts a monographic exhibition tracing the Roman years of Francesco Vaccarone (La Spezia, 1940-2024). Curated by Umberto Croppi and Paolo Asti and promoted by the artist's family, the show focuses on the formative period that defined his practice across painting, printmaking and sculpture.

The display highlights how Roman experience shaped Vaccarone's approach to figure, space and urban memory: a phase marked by work in print workshops—most notably the Stamperia Il Cigno—and encounters with prominent cultural figures of the late twentieth century.

• Highlights: the 'Gabbiani' and 'Clochard' cycles, transitional paintings such as 'Adamo' and 'Ermafrodito', and early 'Mitofanie' works.
• Techniques: oil painting, plate engraving and assemblage, with a material use of color to convey volume.
• Archival pieces: a rare copy of the engraving portfolio 'In articulo amoris' and portrait sketches executed in Rome.

The curators underline how Vaccarone's Roman phase achieved a synthesis between avant-garde impulses and the Italian engraving tradition, leading to a personal semi-abstract language and sustained reflection on social themes and interior landscapes, often tempered by a subtle irony.

Visitor information: the exhibition is on view at Palazzo Merulana until 3 May 2026. For opening hours and visiting arrangements, please refer to the museum's official channels.