Italian Masters in Abu Dhabi
Views of Italy between the 18th and 19th centuries through the masters of the Grand Tour
30 January – 13 February 2026
Italian Cultural Institute in Abu Dhabi
Opening night: January 30, 6:30PM
RSVP required here
Exhibition curated by Hampel Fine Art Auctions (Munich)
The Italian Cultural Institute and the Embassy of Italy to the UAE, in collaboration with the auction house Hampel, are pleased to present Italian Masters in Abu Dhabi, an exhibition dedicated to the timeless fascination of Italian cities as seen through the eyes of great masters between the 18th and 19th centuries.
From 30 January to 13 February 2026, visitors will be invited to embark on an ideal journey through Venice, Rome, and other celebrated urban landscapes, through a selection of works that portray Italy as a privileged destination of the European imagination.
At the heart of the exhibition lies the tradition of the veduta: a form of painting that is both documentary and poetic, capable of capturing architecture, light, everyday life, and monumental perspectives with extraordinary precision. During the period of the Grand Tour, between the 18th and 19th centuries, travelling 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.
The exhibition brings together works by some of the most renowned and beloved artists of veduta painting, including Canaletto, Francesco Guardi, Giovanni Paolo Panini, Vanvitelli, Ippolito Caffi, and Thomas Patch, alongside other key figures of the late 18th- and early 19th-century artistic scene. The result is an accessible and engaging narrative, in which Italian cities are transformed into stages of history, elegance, and wonder.
The exhibition is organized by the Italian Cultural Institute in Abu Dhabi, the Embassy of Italy to the UAE, and Hampel, one of Europe’s leading auction houses, based in Munich, renowned for the quality of its selections and its strong commitment to art-historical research.
Italian Masters in Abu Dhabi aims to bring audiences in the UAE and the international community of Abu Dhabi closer to an iconic chapter of European art, while highlighting Italy’s enduring ability to inspire the gaze of travelers, yesterday as today.
Admission to the exhibition is free of charge. Advance booking is recommended on weekdays and mandatory on weekends, by writing to the email address indicated below.
Upon request, free guided tours led by art historian Luca Maria Spagnuolo are also available.
Information
Venue: Italian Cultural Institute of Abu Dhabi
Al Qasbah Street, Al Bateen, Abu Dhabi
Dates: 30 January – 13 February 2026
Opening hours: 9:00 am – 4:30 pm (Monday–Friday)
Weekends: By appointment only
Bookings: abudhabiiic.segre@esteri.it
Guided tour bookings (free of charge): Tel. +39 329 601 65 67 (WhatsApp)
Press image requests: Email: h.sommer@hampel-auctions.com
https://www.hampel-auctions.com/