At a press conference held at the Embassy of the Italian Republic in Tokyo, the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum announced on December 4 that the “Tavola Doria,” a painting that is believed by some to be a sketch of “The Battle of Anghiari,” an unfinished fresco by Leonardo da Vinci, will be shown in Japan for the first time in May 2015.
TFAM originally purchased the “Tavola Doria” in 1992 and it remained part of its private collection until donating it to the Italian government in 2012. The painting, which depicts warring soldiers on horseback in what is believed to be the mid-15th century battle at Anghiari, now belongs to the prestigious Uffizi Gallery Museum in Florence.
Efforts have been made in Italy to determine the identity of the artist but have yet to prove conclusive.
TFAM will premiere a special exhibition, “Leonardo da Vinci and ‘The Battle of Anghiari,’” from May 26, featuring the “Tavolaa Doria” and some 60 other works, including a life-sized reproduction of a sketch of “The Battle of Cascina” by Michelangelo.
His Excellency Domenico Giorgi, Ambassador of the Italian Republic to Japan, expressed his appreciation to TFAM for returning “Tavola Doria” to Italy and said he looked forward to seeing it displayed side-by-side with Michelangelo’s unfinished work, calling it “an unprecedented opportunity.”
