From March 14 to August 23, 2026, the Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi presents one of the most important exhibitions ever dedicated to Mark Rothko (1903-1970), the undisputed master of American modern art. Curated by Christopher Rothko and Elena Geuna, Rothko in Florence represents a unique project, specially conceived for Palazzo Strozzi, to celebrate the special bond between the artist and Florence. The architecture of the palace and the city itself provide the ideal setting to explore how Rothko translates the tension between classical measure and expressive freedom into painting, giving life through color to a new perception of space that goes beyond the two-dimensionality of the canvas.

The exhibition at Palazzo Strozzi allows visitors to retrace Rothko's entire career with over 70 works from prestigious private collections and major international museums, including the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Tate in London, the Centre national d'art et de culture Georges-Pompidou in Paris, and the National Gallery of Art in Washington.

From Palazzo Strozzi, the project then extends to the city of Florence, involving two places particularly dear to the artist in two satellite sections: the Museo di San Marco, with works in dialogue with the frescoes of Beato Angelico, and the Vestibule of the Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana designed by Michelangelo.

The exhibition Rothko in Florence is promoted and organized by Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi, Florence, in collaboration with the Museo di San Marco (Ministry of Culture - Regional Directorate of National Museums Tuscany) and the Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana. Public supporters of Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi: Municipality of Florence, Tuscany Region, Metropolitan City of Florence, Chamber of Commerce of Florence. Private supporters of Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi: Fondazione CR Firenze, Intesa Sanpaolo, Fondazione Hillary Merkus Recordati, Comitato dei Partner di Palazzo Strozzi.

On the cover: Mark Rothko, No. 3/No. 13, 1949 © Digital Image, The Museum of Modern Art, New York / Scala, Florence © 1998 by Kate Rothko Prizel and Christopher Rothko / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / SIAE, Rome