The beginning of August brought several interesting pieces of art news. In Florence, the restoration of one of Fra Angelico’s early works was completed. Abu Dhabi has finally announced the opening date of its Guggenheim Museum. We’ve compiled the main art news of August for you.
The return and hidden details of Fra Angelico’s altarpiece in Fiesole
The earliest surviving altarpiece by Fra Angelico (1420–1423) has returned to the monastery of San Domenico in Fiesole after extensive restoration. The altarpiece depicts the Madonna with the Child Jesus, who carefully reaches for the flowers in her hand. Around them are eight angels and four saints: Barnabas, Thomas Aquinas, Dominic and Peter.
Originally, the altarpiece was a late Gothic triptych on a gold background, with side pilasters and a predella. But already in 1501, more than 45 years after the death of Fra Angelico, the painter Lorenzo di Credi received a commission to rethink the work in the spirit of the new Renaissance fashion. He left the figures intact, but transformed the triptych into a single composition. The gold background is covered with an image of an embroidered canopy. On the sides he added two arches overlooking a sun-drenched landscape.
The restoration project was funded by the Friends of Florence foundation. Restorers removed yellowed varnish and later overpaintings. Using infrared reflectography, researchers peered beneath the layer of paint applied by Lorenzo di Credi. It turned out that the original throne of the Virgin, painted by the young Fra Angelico, was hidden under the later background drapery. The throne is executed in the austere Renaissance style, clearly influenced by Masaccio: from colored marble, with Gothic arches and detailed vases with roses. The restoration opened a direct dialogue between the two great masters of the Renaissance.
Opening of the Guggenheim Museum in Abu Dhabi
Last week, the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism officially announced the opening date of one of the most anticipated museums in the world. The Guggenheim Museum on Saadiyat Island will welcome its first visitors on December 11, 2026.
The museum building was designed by the renowned architect Frank Gehry, a Pritzker Prize winner. For him, this is the largest project of his career. Unfortunately, the architect will not be able to see it come to life: Frank Owen Gehry died on December 5, 2025, at the age of 96.
The total area of the museum is approximately 80,000 square meters. It will house 30 galleries and open-air exhibition spaces. These outdoor spaces will allow us to display works that cannot fit into standard halls.
The museum’s architectural appearance is defined by ten sculptural cones, each approximately 88 meters tall. Nine of them are clad in steel mesh, and one is made of onyx and glass. These towers not only form a recognizable silhouette against the Saadiyat skyline but also serve a practical function. They act as passive climate control devices, providing natural ventilation and shade in the hot Persian Gulf climate.
The first director of the Guggenheim Museum Abu Dhabi
Art news about appointments: On August 5, the name of the first director of the Guggenheim Museum Abu Dhabi was announced. Valerie Healings, previously the director of the North Carolina Museum of Art (NCMA), has been appointed. For Healings, this is a return to her roots. From 2009 to 2018, she worked on the Guggenheim UAE project as lead curator. The appointment of a senior manager of this caliber signals that the museum is moving from the capital construction phase to the finalization of its collection and exhibition strategy. The appointment was announced by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi. This happened just a few days after the opening date of the museum was announced.
Hillings holds a PhD and MA in art history and archaeology from the Institute of Fine Arts at New York University, and a BA in art history from Duke University, specializing in modern and contemporary art.
In an official statement, Hillings said:
It is a great honor for me to return to Abu Dhabi to complete this unique journey – the creation and opening of the Museum Guggenheim Museum.
As director, Hillings will be responsible for the museum’s strategic development, curatorial program for the opening, and its future public program. The future museum’s collection spans art from the 1960s to the present. The exhibition will include works by such artists as Jackson Pollock, Andy Warhol, and Jean-Michel Basquiat, along with works by masters from Asia, Africa, and the Arab world.
Source:hellomagrussia.ru
