Michel Sittow 500
December 2025 marks 500 years since the death of Michel Sittow (c. 1469–1525). The exhibition presents earlier works (mainly religious pieces created in Spain) of the Tallinn-born artist, who was highly valued in Europe. The centrepieces of the exhibition are selected panel paintings of the monumental altarpiece of the family chapel of the Luna family in Toledo Cathedral, for which Sittow painted several panels with saints as a young artist (1488–1489). This was followed by Sittow’s prominent career as a court artist. In addition to Sittow’s paintings, which were conserved just before the exhibition, the diverse scientific studies carried out on the altarpiece will also be presented. Sittow is primarily known in art history as a portraitist, but religious art played an important role in his work throughout his career. The exhibition also brings together his first and last works, the magnificent panel paintings from Spain and the paintings on the wings of the Tallinn Passion altarpiece (1520s).
Curators: Merike Kurisoo (Art Museum of Estonia), Greta Koppel (Art Museum of Estonia), Carlos Alonso Pérez-Fajardo (Spain) and Matthias Weniger (Bayerisches Nationalmuseum, Munich)
Exhibition design and graphic design: Asko Künnap
Coordinator: Annika Teras