Samuel Vitali

Samuel Vitali is an Editor at the Kunsthistorisches Institut in Florenz (Art History Institute in Florence), part of the Max Planck Society, where he has worked since 2010 on the "Mitteilungen des Kunsthistorischen Instituts in Florenz," one of the oldest and most prestigious art-historical journals worldwide.

Vitali earned his doctorate in 2004 from the University of Zurich with research on the Carracci Romulus Frieze in Bologna. His academic background includes studies in art history, history, and Russian literature at the Universities of Zurich and Bologna, with a licentiate thesis on antiquity reception in Nicholas of Verdun's work.

His primary research interests focus on:

• Painting in Bologna during the Cinquecento and Seicento, particularly the Carracci family and their artistic circle
• Artist self-representation and self-stylization in early modern period

Vitali leads significant research projects including "Carracci's Stylistic Theory - A Reassessment" which examines the artistic theories of the influential Bolognese painters, and "The Firm of the Artist in the Early Modern Period" investigating signatures and self-presentation in art. His work contributes to the institute's mission of exploring art history from transcultural and global perspectives with emphasis on Italy, Europe, and the Mediterranean.

Prior to joining the institute, Vitali worked as a curator at the Kunstmuseum Bern (2004-2010) and as an assistant at the Art History Institute of the University of Zurich (2002-2004).