Get ready for a journey into an extraordinary world, populated by legendary creatures, mythological monsters and extinct animals that seem to come back to life before your eyes!
In her new works Arianna Fioratti Loreto takes us to a parallel universe, where imagination mixes with science and mythology to create a modern bestiary.
An ancient treasure map? No.
A forgotten scientific manuscript? Not even. Rather, an exercise in pure fantasy in which every detail is designed to fascinate and amaze.
THE FANTASTIC BESTIARY OF ANNA FIORATTI LORETO
Arianna Fioratti Loreto’s drawings are not just simple illustrations, but windows onto alternative worlds.
Created using the technique of ink on paper and cross-hatching, they evoke an ancient and fascinating aesthetic, recalling the illustrated plates of old zoological and paleontological treatises.
His creatures are hybrid, suspended between myth and reality. On the one hand, we find legendary figures such as the Hydra, the Dragon, Quetzalcoatl and Cipactli, from mythologies around the world. On the other, imaginary animals born from the play of words: the elephant-bee, the bear-bear, the fish-boar, and even an all-seeing starfish.
But that’s not all. The distant past also finds space in this bestiary, with extinct species such as the Moa, Velociraptor, Ceratosaurus and Utahraptor, which seem to entertain an unusual dialogue with fossils from the very ancient past.
Arianna Fioratti Loreto’s works represent a perfect balance between science and imagination, between zoological rigour and pure fantasy. The black and white of her works gives these creatures an incredible life force, as if they could jump out of the paper at any moment.
Who is Arianna Fioratti Loreto
Behind this universe of wonders is an artist with a fascinating background.
Born in New York, Arianna Fioratti Loreto graduated from Harvard in Medieval Studies in 1989 and received a Master’s degree in Art History from Princeton University in 1992. She began her career in textile design, working for major New York companies, and later devoted herself to illustrating children’s books and creating children’s furniture.
In the course of his career, he has exhibited his works all over the world, from New York to Berlin, from London to Maastricht, increasingly refining his ink-on-paper drawing technique. He currently lives in Florence, where he continues to explore the boundaries between art, science and imagination.
If you want to see these extraordinary drawings live, you can go to Arianna Fiorati Loreto’s official website, or mark this date: from 28 February to 4 May 2025 the Museo della Specola in Florence will host the exhibition TERRA INCOGNITA, conceived by the artist in collaboration with Marco Masseti.
A unique opportunity to immerse yourself in a fantastic journey among myths, legendary beasts and extinct species, as if you were in front of an ancient scientific manuscript that tells of a mysterious island… that perhaps does not really exist. Or does it?
Don’t miss this exhibition: an extraordinary adventure awaits you!