Education

Scuola di Specializzazione in Beni Storico Artistici, Università di Firenze (1985)
Integrated Master’s Degree in History of Art, Università di Firenze (1980)

Current Positions

Full Professor of Art History, Graphic Art, Museology and Aesthetics at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera, Milan, since 2006
Professor of Art History at the Università Internazionale dell’Arte, Florence, and member of the University’s scientific committee (since 1982)
Curator of the MAP (Museo di Arte Plastica) of Castiglione Olona since 2004 and project manager for the ‘Polo Museale’ in this territory
Member of the editorial board of specialised magazines, including Critica d’Arte, Il Ponte, Architettura e Arte, Il Protagora, Il Corriere dell’Arte, and La Nuova Città

Former positions and teaching experience

Full Professor of Art History at the Accademia Albertina, Turin (1992-2005) Associate Professor of Art History at the academies of fine art of Turin and Brera (1990-1992) Visiting Professor of Art History at the California State University, Department of Arts, International Programme, Florence (1980s) Visiting Professor of Art History at the Middlebury College (VT), Department of Arts, International Programme (1980s), USA Visiting Professor of Art History at the International School of Graphic Art ‘Il Bisonte’, Florence (1980s)

Experience in Museums and Cultural Institutions

External curator of the Collection of Drawings at the Museo Centro Cultural Caja Granada Memoria de Andalucia, Granada, and author of the catalogue raisonné (Colección de Arte CajaGranada. Selecciones 1572 – 2009)
External Curator of the exhibition ‘Masters of Brera’ at the Duolon Museum of Shanghai, accompanied by the homonym catalogue (2008) Director of the Museum of Modern Art of Ascona, Switzerland (2003-2004)
Co-curator with Natalia I. Gritsay of the temporary exhibition ‘Rubens’s Ceres: two original versions’, accompanied by homonym catalogue, at The Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg (6 March – 3 June 2007)
Chair of the Scientific Committee of Fondazione Novalia, and organiser of the foundation’s international conferences in 2004, 2006, and 2007
Co-curator (with M. Corradini) of the exhibition Dal Pollaiolo al Tiepolo. Selezione di stampe italiane dal 1400 al 1700 della Fondazione Morcelli-Repossi di Chiari and editor of the homonym catalogue (GAM Edizioni: Rudiano, 1999)
Curator of the exhibition ‘Anni 90: Arte a Milano’, Accademia di Brera, and editor of the homonym catalogue (Abitare Segesta: Milan, 1995)
Director of the National Museum of Anghiari, Anghiari (1986-87)
Vice-Director of the Museum of Medieval and Modern Art of Arezzo managing the museum’s renovation project (1986-87)
Inspector at the Soprintendenza per i Beni Architettonici e Artistici di Arezzo working as member of the team responsible of the ‘Progetto per Piero’, an extensive conservation campaign on frescoes by Piero della Francesca, and collaborating with Luciano Marchetti at the conservation project of the Convento de La Verna (1986-87)

Research Interests and Selected Publications

I am a specialist of Michelangelo, and co-author (with F. Mancinelli) of the monograph Michelangiolo (Collezione d’Arte A. Menarini and Edizioni d’Arte il Fiorino: Florence, 1992).
I am also interested in Leonardo. In 2008 the Italian Ministry of Culture awarded funding for a research project to be carried out by seven scholars, including myself, co-ordinated by Fabio Minazzi from the Università dell’Insubria (Protocol 2008ZX72NK). Finalised to the forthcoming publication of a single-author book, my study is aimed at investigating the crossovers between art and science in Leonardo da Vinci’s work, particularly at the time of his stay in Lombardy. As invited speaker to the annual festival at Pilzone d’Iseo, on 26 May 2010 I presented part of this research’s outcome giving the lecture ‘Leonardo sul Lago d’Iseo’. In an earlier article co-authored with Minazzi I had already discussed some related aspects, see ‘”L’incontro de li occhi” e il Cenacolo di Leonardo. Appunti e materiali per una lettura critica’, Agorà, V, 2001, pp. 766-810. In 2007 I curated the contemporary art show ‘La Tavola di Leonardo’ at the Società Umanitaria, Milan. As invited speaker to the exhibition ‘Leonardo, genio curioso: Codice Atlantico e macchine geniali’ at the Chiostro di Voltorre, Gavirate (28 January – 16 April 2007), I also presented the paper ‘Leonardo and contemporary art’. As independent art critic I collaborate with art galleries and studios, and am the author of several publications on modern and contemporary art and architecture, including Max Ernst (Regione Piemonte Edizioni: Turin, 1996); Mario Botta Architetture 1980−1990 (Artificio Edizioni: Florence, 1992); and Aldo Salvadori: Opere donate dal Maestro all’Università Internazionale dell’Arte (in memory of my mentor Carlo L. Ragghianti, Florence, 2003).

Memberships

RSA, Renaissance Society of America
Centro Studi Carlo Cattaneo e Giulio Preti, Università dell’Insubria (founding member)
Centro UNESCO di Firenze ONLUS