At the Prado in Madrid, an exhibition investigates Italian influence in late medieval Spanish art

ThePrado Museum in Madrid will host, from May 26 to September 20, 2026, the exhibition Alla maniera italiana. Spain and the Mediterranean Gothic, 1320-1420, curated by Joan Molina Figueras, head of the collection of European painting up to 1500.

Understanding late medieval Spanish art is difficult without considering theItalian influence. The arrival of artists from the peninsula and the circulation of works fostered important innovations in aesthetics, technique and iconography during the 14th century, leaving a lasting imprint on the visual culture of the Iberian kingdoms. Important local masters also contributed to this process, adopting eclectic languages and hybrid solutions to rework Italian models in original ways. The technical and material quality of their works, together with their ability to develop new forms of expression and themes, won over the most cultured public of the time, who were always in search of innovative proposals and exotic suggestions. The two shores of the Western Mediterranean became a space of continuous exchanges, in which works and gazes influenced each other, giving rise to a rich cultural contamination.

The exhibition thus aims to acquaint a wide audience with this art-historical moment, adopting perspectives that go beyond the traditional comparison between center and periphery. Among the topics addressed are the role of technique as a means of expression in luxury objects, the dynamics of artistic exchanges linked to trade routes and diplomatic relations, the dialogue between emerging Gothic culture and the Islamic world, and the need to revise the usual art-historical categories in favor of more articulate and diversified interpretations.

In pursuit of this goal, the exhibition will bring together more than one hundred works, selected for their variety and relevance, created using different techniques, from painting to sculpture, goldsmithing to illuminated manuscripts, and drawings, embroidery and silk textiles. Many of the works on display are little known to the public and some have never been presented before. Alongside masterpieces by leading Italian artists such as Ambrogio Lorenzetti, Gherardo Starnina, Lupo di Francesco, Barnaba da Modena, Andrea di Petruccio, and Geri Lapi, there will also be works by local masters such as Ferrer and Arnau Bassa, the Serra brothers, Pedro de Córdoba, and Miquel Alcañiz. The works will come on loan from a total of 31 national and 25 international institutions.

At the Prado in Madrid, an exhibition investigates Italian influence in late medieval Spanish art

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