Marubeni Corporation (“Marubeni”) is pleased to announce that the Marubeni Gallery Opening Exhibition III: “La Bella Simonetta, a Special Botticelli Exhibition” will be held from December 1, 2022 to January 31, 2023. 　

This exhibition will feature a single tempera* painting by Sandro Botticelli, La Bella Simonetta. The only Botticelli work in Japan, this painting has been in Marubeni’s collection for 53 years since it was imported from the U.K. in 1969.

This exhibition, which coincides with the 570th anniversary of Simonetta’s birth, will highlight the appeal of appreciating a single painting from various angles, including the life of the beautiful and enchanting Simonetta, the history and provenance of the work itself, and a new theory about the year of La Bella Simonetta’s creation through comparisons with other portraits of her.

*Tempera refers to tempera paint, which is mainly made from a mixture of egg yolk and powdered pigments, and to the technique of using such paint. Tempera appeared in the Middle Ages and was mainly used until the end of the 15th century in Italy.

Exhibition Details:

Dates:	Thursday, December 1, 2022 to Tuesday, January 31, 2021
Hours:	10 am to 5 pm (Last admission: 4:30 pm)
Closed:	Sundays and public holidays Note: Also closed whenever the Marubeni Building is closed. Please check the Marubeni Gallery website for details.
Admission:	General admission: 500 yen All proceeds from general admission sales will be donated to the Marubeni Foundation. Note: Admission is free for the following groups. ・ Children under 18 and 18/19-year-old senior high school students (with student ID) ・ Visitors with an official disability certificate, plus one accompanying caregiver ・ Visitors wearing a kimono or yukata

About the Marubeni Gallery:
Designed under the concept of “a space where the aesthetics of the East and West in ancient and modern times resonate with each other,” the Marubeni Gallery is a facility where Marubeni’s art collection is on display to the public. Marubeni’s art collection consists of the three main categories: textiles, designs for textiles, and paintings. Since its founding in 1858, Marubeni has pursued the aesthetic beauty of Japan through its textile business. This resulted in the collection and preservation of ancient textile products (such as kimono, obi, and silk gift-wrapping cloth) and designs primarily from the 17th to mid-19th centuries—the first and second pillars of the collection. Gaining contacts in the art world through this pursuit of textile designs, Marubeni also acquired modern Japanese paintings through art dealers or from the artists themselves. Later, in the 1960s and 70s, Marubeni expanded into the international art business, acquiring Western paintings as well. Together, these Japanese and Western paintings form the third pillar of the collection. Today, the Marubeni Gallery features rotating exhibitions to share this collection, the history of Marubeni, and the aesthetic beauty of both East and West with the public.

Official Website: https://www.marubeni.com/gallery/en/
Official Instagram: https://instagram.com/marubeni_gallery_official

Future Exhibit (Planned):
Opening Exhibition IV:
Textile Designs and the Akane-kai—Spinning the Passion of the Past into the Present
(Tuesday, May 16 to Monday, July 31, 2023)
Part I: Tuesday, May 16 to Saturday, June 17
Part II: Monday, July 3 to Monday, July 31
Closed for exhibition artwork rotation period: Sunday, June 18 to Sunday, July 2