Uniting classical art with the world of gaming and fantasy imagery
In the realm of tabletop gaming, few titles command the same level of reverence and admiration as D&D. Since its first publication in 1974 by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, Dungeons & Dragons has captivated the hearts and minds of millions worldwide, shaping the landscape of gaming and inspiring a generation of players.
On Saturday, October 26, 2024, at 5pm CET, Gateway to Adventure: 50 Years of D&D Art exhibition will open in the extraordinary and sacred setting of the Chiesa dei Servi, reimagined to create an editorial and artistic journey that also leaves ample room for interactive experiences and gameplay. Organized by Lucca Comics & Games 24 (The Butterfly Effect), the exhibition will celebrate the famous role-playing game that has profoundly influenced pop culture. This unique exhibition represents an unmissable opportunity for art fans and collectors.
Santa Maria dei Servi in Lucca, ItalyThe largest Dungeons & Dragons exhibition ever created, visitors will have the opportunity to admire for the first time the prestigious Koder Collection, over one hundred works of art and memorabilia related to the D&D universe. Among these, there are masterpieces by some of the greatest artists who have contributed to shaping the visual imagery of the game, such as Larry Elmore, Jeff Easley, Clyde Caldwell, Keith Parkinson, Brom and Todd Lockwood. The exhibition will also include a selection of original and iconic artwork from from Dungeon & Dragon’s 1st edition to the present day, as well as the first variant cover ever created for a D&D handbook, signed by John Blanche for the English edition distributed in the United Kingdom by Games Workshop. The exhibit is curated by Jessica Lee Patterson, art historian for the Koder collection since 2022, and Jon Peterson, game historian and author of Dungeons & Dragons – Art & Arcana and The Making of Original Dungeons & Dragons 1970-1977.
Cornelis Cort: Saint George and the Dragon (1577). Courtesy Uffizi Galleries.
Alongside the main exhibition, the Uffizi is contributing to the celebrations with the display of three centuries-old engravings depicting the mythological figure of the dragon, an iconic symbol in both the history of art and the world of fantasy. These are works by artists from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, including Cornelis Cort with Saint George and the Dragon (1577), Salvator Rosa with Jason Putting the Dragon to Sleep (1663-1664), and Giovanni Battista D’Angolo, known as del Moro, with Landscape with Saint Theodore and the Dragon (1560-70). The “Dragons of the Uffizi” will be exhibited in the Church of the Servi itself, creating an evocative dialogue between classical and pop art, between myth and role-playing game.
Giovanni Battista D'Angolo, known as del Moro:
Landscape with Saint Theodore and the Dragon (1560-70). Courtesy Uffizi Galleries.
Simone Verde, director of the Uffizi Galleries, commented: “The dragon is perhaps the most famous and beloved of fantastic creatures, to the point of having, already in ancient times, migrated from the original Chinese mythology to the collective imaginations of all the peoples of the world. In the context of the exhibition of the three beautiful engravings that see it as the protagonist at Lucca Comics & Games, it takes on the symbolic meaning of the cosmopolitan journey of the image, of art, and of the pervasive energy of popular culture, which has always known no borders. Not only that. It is through this initiative, in fact, that the Galleries strengthen the fruitful cultural alliance implemented in recent years with the event: just in these days we have renewed our collaboration agreement for another two years”.
Salvator Rosa: Jason Putting the Dragon to Sleep (1663-1664). Courtesy Uffizi Galleries.
Emanuele Vietina, director of Lucca Comics & Games states, “The relationship with the Uffizi Galleries continues and deepens over the years we have brought the self-portraits of the masters of comics to the largest collection of self-portraits in the world and this will continue. Today these three precious loans, which begin the exhibition, confirm the affinities between the art that was popular and ‘consumed’ in the past and today’s languages. Tradition is updated to continue to pass on, this is the spirit of our collaboration“.
David Trampier: Cover of Players Handbook (1978)The Gateway to Adventure: 50 Years of D&D Art
Uffizi Galleries (the Comics in the Museums project) and Lucca Comics & Games
Santa Maria dei Servi in Lucca, Italy
opens Saturday 26 October, 2024
Lucca Comics & Games 24 (The Butterfly Effect) festival continues until November 11, 2024