LUIS ROYO, FIRST INTERNATIONAL ILLUSTRATION ARTIST TO BE PART OF THE UFFIZI GALLERY

This past weekend Eike Schmidt, director of the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, received in front of the 314,500 spectators of Lucca C&G2023 the self-portrait of Luis Royo, international figure of fantasy and science fiction illustration since the 80s. 

Just before the charity auction held on the last day of the festival, for which all Lucca C&G artists turn to preparing, painting or sculpting works during the days of the fair in the Area Performance Onlus, which celebrates its 25th anniversary, Schmidt made his appearance together with Emanuele Vietina, director of Lucca Comic & Games.

In addition to Royo's self-portrait, the Florentine museum also received the self-portrait of Frank Miller, also a prestigious author of comics such as "Sin City", "Batman" or "Daredevil".

"These splendid works will be added to those already donated in past years and that we at the Uffizi are collecting to make them available to everyone," Schmidt commented.

Among the 12 new rooms inaugurated last July on the second floor of the Uffizi Galleries, one section is dedicated to self-portraits of comic, illustration and fantasy artists. The project was born in 2021 as a result of the initiative "Comics in Museums | Self-Portraits of the Uffizi", supported by the Ministry of Culture. The gallery came to life in collaboration with Lucca Comics & Games and already features big names such as: Milo Manara, Lorenzo Mattotti, Altan and Will Eisner.

During the day, Eike Schmidt, together with the mayor of Lucca, Mario Pardini, the alderman of Public Works, Nicola Buchignani, and the general manager of Lucca Crea, Nicola Lucchesi, accompanied by the director of Lucca Comics & Games, Emanuele Vietina, made an inspection of the former Tabacchi Factory, which will become the site of the future Comics Expo, a museum dedicated to comics, to which the Italian Minister of Culture, Gennaro Sangiuliano, pledged his support.