Neri and Luzi, although they belonged to different eras and never met in person, are two
personalities who were similar in many ways, united by an equal sensitivity towards the landscape
of the Terre di Siena. From the entrance to the exhibition rooms, one perceives the unique atmosphere created
by the combination of painting and poetry. Neri’s paintings appear intensely
evocative, bound by a deep emotional connection to the verses written by Luzi.
Walking through the first section of the exhibition, devoted to the many landscapes in which Neri portrayed the
gentle contours of the Crete Senesi, one makes a metaphorical journey from Siena to Monte Amiata.
The first works depict the city with its iconic towers (such as Siena con la sulla
in fiore, 1924, Ettore Pellegrini collection), while in the last painting the mountain stands out, majestic and
solitary (L’Amiata dalle Crete, 1950, private collection).
In the middle of the route, the Crete are depicted in all their variations, in summer and in winter,
bare or in bloom, reflecting not only a landscape that is still beautiful today and perfectly
preserved, but also emotions and states of mind, through colour combinations and the
materiality of the painting, thick and full-bodied.
Solitary and bare, an oak in the snow (La querce nella neve, 1954, private collection) leads us to
reflect on the human condition, but also on the future of our planet. The painting, in fact,
appears crooked to our eyes: the tilt is a degree and a half and is not at all accidental. As already happened
at the Leopold Museum in Vienna, the work has been deliberately tilted by the same
value recorded by the thermometers that monitor global warming. A degree and a half bothers
our eye as much as heat torments our planet.
The choice of a snowy landscape to raise awareness of climate change is not accidental: will
there still be snow with these ever more extreme temperatures?
The second and last section of the exhibition is devoted to the inhabited landscape. Peasants resting or
busy working the fields appear in full harmony with nature and its rhythms.
A splendid female figure (La Primavera, 1928, private collection), stretched out in the greenery, grasps
a flowering branch, evoking the artistic climate of the Liberty style.
The soft lighting allows visitors to immerse themselves completely in the setting, feeling
captivated by the emotions that Neri’s works and Luzi’s poems convey. The combination of the
visual beauty of the paintings and the conceptual depth of the verses creates a profound synergy, and
ultimately the exhibition, intimate and quiet in atmosphere, conveys a sense of peace and
makes one want to go in search, along the Crete Senesi, of the spots where Dario Neri set up his
easel, to rediscover the same states of mind.
Walking through the rooms of the Magazzini del Sale undoubtedly makes us reflect on the value of landscape,
a good to be known and protected, capable of conveying not only a sense of our history and
culture, but also strong emotions, teaching us respect for nature and the value of sustainability.
Practical information
Dario Neri, Mario Luzi. Il paesaggio stato d’animo
2 December 2023 - 4 February 2024
Siena, Magazzini del Sale, Museo Civico Torre del Mangia
For more information: https://www.museisenesi.org/eventi/dario-neri-mario-luzi-il-
paesaggio-stato-danimo-mostra-ai-magazzini-del-sale-a-siena/
Catalogue: Dario Neri, Mario Luzi. Il paesaggio stato d’animo, edited by Leonardo Scelfo, Nuova
Immagine Editrice, Siena 2023.
