The exhibition, 'Lo Sfregio', will house sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s bust of Roman noblewoman Costanza Piccolomini Bonarelli, on loan from the Bargello gallery, also in Florence.
The marble bust was disfigured by Bernini in a fit of jealousy, after he discovered Bonarelli’s relationship with his brother, Luigi.
The Baroque artist faced no disciplinary action for ruining the bust, whereas Bonarelli was punished by being imprisoned in a convent for four months.
Director of the Uffizi Eike Schmidt stated that the bust had undergone a restoration for the upcoming exhibition.
“Now the work can be fully appreciated again thanks to this symbolic act of reparation against the damage of time,” he said.
“We look at it not only as a masterpiece by one of the greatest Baroque sculptors, but we are also invited to reflect on the brutal violence of the strong against the vulnerable.”
The bust is accompanied by a suite of photos from Ilaria Sagaria, titled 'Pain is not a privilege', which tells the stories of acid attack victims.
Sagaria created her exhibition mindfully, wanting to honour the victims she photographed.
“Acid violence is a global phenomenon that is not linked to ethnicity, religion, and even less to social and geographical position,” she said in a statement.
“Although cases have also been recorded against men, it remains a form of violence with a greater impact on women.
“In addition to the physical brutality caused by an inhumane act, there is psychological trauma to be faced: loss of identity, depression and isolation.”
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