The exhibition is intended to present to the public an important rediscovery and a significant acquisition for the Italian historic and artistic heritage. These are two, practically unknown, panel paintings portraying Dominican Saints by Beato Angelico, recently rediscovered in England and subsequently purchased by the Soprintendenza and by the Ente Cassa di Risparmio di Firenze. Beyond the great artistic significance, the rediscovery is also of great historic importance. Effectively, the paintings very probably originate from the pilasters of the altarpiece painted by the Angelico for the high altar of the church of San Marco in Florence, which was dismembered in the nineteenth century. Commissioned by Cosimo de’Medici, this work can be considered the first altarpiece of a Renaissance concept.
In the exhibition, major prominence is given to the virtual reconstructions of the hypothetical original appearance of the altarpiece, and to an educational itinerary illustrating the results of the restoration carried out, and the studies, research and scientific investigations that have succeeded in casting light on the execution technique with a view to the future restoration of the central panel.