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The British Museum will be showcasing some prints and drawings from Genoa's golden age between 1500 and 1800, shining a light on the artistic powerhouse that came to rival Venice, Florence and Rome.
As one of the wealthiest cities on the Italian peninsula thanks to its trade links across Europe, the port city of Genoa was nicknamed 'La Superba' ('the proud one') and became a magnet for painters and sculptors wanting to study or find work.
The first major arrival was Raphael's pupil Perino del Vaga, who introduced a new, modern manner to drawing when he came in 1528. Other artists then followed, and over the next 150 years the city managed to attract big names like Rubens and van Dyck.
This constant injection of new blood kept Genoa at the cutting edge of artistic trends, and it produced a steady stream of renowned painters such as Luca Cambiaso, Bernardo Strozzi and Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione.
