The Time of Realism: exhibition in Grosseto

From 15 May to 6 September 2026, Polo culturale Le Clarisse and the Palazzo della Provincia in Grosseto present the exhibition "The Time of Realism. Guttuso, Levi, Treccani and the Maremma Artists." The show contrasts leading figures of Italian realism with local artists who, in the postwar years, depicted labor and social change in the Maremma region.

Theme and layout

Curated by Luca Quattrocchi and Livia Spano from the University of Siena, the exhibition reconstructs the cultural and civic context of the postwar period, with attention to the debate following the Ribolla tragedy of 1954. The route is organised into three main sections:

• Major interpreters of Italian realism (including Renato Guttuso, Carlo Levi, Ernesto Treccani);
• Maremma artists and their growing engagement with social and labor themes;
• Photography and cinema as historical and documentary testimony of the territory.

Organization and partnerships

The event is promoted by Fondazione Grosseto Cultura, the Municipality and Province of Grosseto and the Department of Historical Sciences and Cultural Heritage at the University of Siena, with contributions and collaborations from various cultural institutions. In addition to paintings, the exhibition displays images, documents and archival material that reconstruct the historical and human context of postwar Maremma.

Practical information

• Dates: 15 May 2026 – 6 September 2026
• Venues: Polo culturale Le Clarisse and Palazzo della Provincia, Grosseto
• Opening hours: seasonal schedules apply (check official channels or contact the venues)
• Admission: Polo Le Clarisse €5 (reduced €3); free entry at the Palazzo della Provincia

Why visit: the exhibition provides a direct reading of the relationship between art and social reality in the postwar era, highlighting how the Maremma became a site of significant cultural debate and production.