The Italian Cultural Institute of Abu Dhabi and the local Embassy of Italy, in collaboration with the Hampel auction house of Munich, present to the Emirati public the exhibition “Italian Masters in Abu Dhabi,” dedicated to the timeless charm of Italian cities as seen through the eyes of the great masters of vedutismo between the 18th and 19th centuries.
From 30 January to 13 February 2026, visitors will be able to embark on an ideal journey through Venice, Rome, and other celebrated urban settings, through a selection of works that portray Italy as a privileged destination within the European imagination.
Works by great masters such as Canaletto, Francesco Guardi, Giovanni Paolo Panini, Vanvitelli, Ippolito Caffi, and Thomas Patch recount the refined and elegant tradition of the veduta: a form of painting that is both documentary and poetic, capable of depicting architecture, light, everyday life, and monumental perspectives with extraordinary precision. During the period of the Grand Tour, between the 18th and 19th centuries, travel to Italy was a fundamental part of the cultural education of European aristocrats, artists, and intellectuals. Vedute thus became visual “souvenirs” of the journey—images to be collected, exchanged, and preserved as symbols of knowledge and refined taste.
