The graphic collection of the Uffizi, due to its old and sedimented cultural heritage, is characterized by an inextricable intertwining of history, tradition and critique. For many of the artists represented it enables us to reflect on the historical roots that precede and permit a reconstruction of their respective artistic characters.

From the nineteenth century onwards the history of the collection was subjected to new regulations on the protection of cultural assets which were extended to all parts of the country. The number of items in the Uffizi’s collection was so high and vast in terms of chronology and artistic schools that it represented a model to be imitated for its conservation and management procedures, as well as historiographical choices.

This exhibition aims to focus on the events that allowed Florence, between the mid-nineteenth and start of the twentieth century, in continuity with the past but conscious of the modern spirit of the time, to place great attention on contemporary art. This process was then fostered by the search for works by Italian as well as foreign artists. Public and private collecting practices conspired to choose the most representative works from the contemporary market, not neglecting to follow and interpret innovations in the graphic arts which were appearing on the Italian scene with exhibitions and cultural events that were increasingly acclaimed by critics and the public. The heterogeneous nature of the works displayed intentionally reflects the different factors that affected art in that period of great upheaval, from the mid-19^th century to the First World War.