Women of the Sky: From Muses to Scientists

This exhibition, conceived by Museo Galileo and co-organized with the Central National Library of Florence, focuses on the role of women in astronomical research and on the female images that most frequently feature in representations of the cosmos from the Renaissance to the early twentieth century. The National Library’s texts are presented in dialogue with scientific instruments from the Museo Galileo and private collections, and in conversation with astronomy-inspired artwork. In fact, The Variables of the Swan—a series of seven monumental canvases by artist Ilaria Margutti inspired by Henrietta Swan Leavitt’s studies—are an integral part of the exhibition.

Exhibition Dates