Bellezza e Bruttezza

𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗼 & 𝗧𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁𝘀 ⟶ bit.ly/4j0fOjo
► 20 Feb.→14 June'26
Tue - Sun, 10 am - 6 pm
Closed on Monday
► #expoBellezzaeBruttezza

Beauty and Ugliness in the Renaissance

Beauty and ugliness have always fascinated people, yet their meanings shift over time. Bellezza e Bruttezza explores how artists from Italy and Northern Europe in the 15th and 16th centuries depicted these extremes, from refined ideals to deliberate grotesques. A rare opportunity to see extraordinary works, some appearing in Belgium for the first and only time.

The exhibition traces how the standards of beauty and ugliness evolved from the last quarter of the 15th century to the end of the 16th century—key transitional periods—by juxtaposing in a rich and compelling confrontation the ways in which these two subjects were interpreted by the greatest Italian artists and their counterparts from Northern Europe. Beauty became an increasingly important social concern at this time, as shown by the rising number of 16th-century publications offering “recipes for looking beautiful” and advice on cosmetics and care. Meanwhile, ugliness also grew in prominence in art, appearing in a widening range of forms throughout the same period.

Discover remarkable works by renowned artists such as Botticelli, Titian, Tintoretto, Cranach the Elder, Massys, and many others.

You may also like the following events from Bozar:

• Next Wednesday, 28th January, 08:30 pm, Suso Sáiz: Inside Sounds in Brussels
• Next Thursday, 29th January, 07:30 pm, Meet the Writers: Laura Fernández, Miguel Ángel Hernández & Vicente Luis Mora in Brussels
• Next Sunday, 1st February, 10:00 am, John Baldessari in Brussels

Also check out other Arts events in Brussels, Exhibitions in Brussels.