Arie di Teste: Italian Oil Paintings on Paper, 1500–1800

Colnaghi London is pleased to announce Arie di Teste: Italian Oil Paintings on Paper, 1500–1800, an exhibition bringing together twenty-eight works that reconsider the history, function and artistic significance of oil painting on paper. Curated by Dr Luca Baroni, Director of the Rete Museale Marche Nord, the exhibition will open at Colnaghi London during the week of 23 November 2026.

Spanning three centuries and several Italian artistic centres, the exhibition includes works associated with Hans Maler, Paolo Veronese, Jacopo Tintoretto, Federico Barocci and the Carracci. Together, they show how artists used oil on paper to study heads and expressions, explore colour and light, and develop or record ideas. The works also invite a broader understanding of the medium, whose purpose could range from preparation for a larger composition to an independent work in its own right.

An accompanying scholarly catalogue examines the history and varied uses of oil on paper, with essays on Barocci’s practice and the questions of attribution surrounding the Carracci group. Highlights will also be presented at Colnaghi New York on the occasion of Master Drawings New York.