Michelangelo's Women Exhibition Opens in Savannah

SAVANNAH, GA, Oct. 08, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- The Renaissance sculptor, painter, architect, and renowned poet Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564) loved women, not as objects of physical desire but as fully realized, powerful, heroic figures, equal to and sometimes superior to men. The exhibition is the first to focus exclusively on the women who inspired, appeared in, and helped preserve the legacy of one of history’s greatest artists.

This exhibition, organized by Telfair Museums and the Casa Buonarroti Firenze, will feature works from the artist’s own family’s historic collections, including drawings, poetry, and letters, some never before seen in the United States. The exhibition will use these materials to encourage visitors to think about the ways that Michelangelo looked at women and what women saw in his works. It will also introduce visitors to patron and muse Vittoria Colonna (1492-1547) and preservationist Rosina Vendramin (1814-1856), women who supported Michelangelo and maintained his legacy.

The exhibition will include reproductions of the Sistine Chapel ceiling and his fresco, "Last Judgment," allowing visitors to have new, close studies of the women the artist included in his most famous works. The exhibition is curated by guest curator Dr. Gary Radke, a leading scholar of Renaissance art. This exhibition invites audiences to look beyond familiar masterpieces and discover an entirely new way of understanding Michelangelo's work.

This exhibition honors just a few of the many significant women who have impacted Telfair Museums with a new examination of their important contributions. The exhibition is organized by Telfair Museums and curated by Dr. Elyse Gerstenecker, Director of Curatorial Affairs & Curator of Decorative Arts, with contributions from various curators and interpretive guides.

The exhibition is expected to attract a wide range of visitors, including art enthusiasts, history buffs, and those interested in the roles of women in art history. The opening reception and lecture on October 8 have already sold out, but there is still time to reserve your spot for the educational and entertaining programs accompanying the exhibition.

Telfair Museums, which opened in 1886, is the oldest public art museum in the South and the first U.S. museum founded by a woman. The museum features a world-class art collection in the heart of Savannah's National Historic Landmark District and encompasses three sites: the Jepson Center for the Arts, the Owens-Thomas House & Slave Quarters, and the Telfair Academy.