At the Pinacoteca di Brera, an exhibition celebrates 60 years of auteur comics in the heart of Milan.
A stroll through the Honor Courtyard of the Pinacoteca di Brera becomes, these days, a journey through the history of comics. From June 3 to September 9, 2025, Happy Birthday Linus takes the stage: an open-air exhibition dedicated to the 60th anniversary of linus, a cultural and graphic landmark in the Italian publishing scene.
Founded in 1965 in Milan, linus was the first Italian magazine entirely dedicated to comics. An editorial project that – starting from its name, inspired by the beloved Peanuts character by Charles Schulz – has told stories of current affairs, irony, politics, and critical thinking through the power of drawn narration.
Curated by Elisabetta Sgarbi and Marcello Garofalo, in collaboration with Igort and with exhibition design by Luca Volpatti, the show is part of the La Milanesiana 2025 program. It presents a selection of historic covers, original drawings, and comic strips that have shaped the collective imagination of generations of readers. A visual journey spanning from Schulz to Guido Crepax, from Hugo Pratt to Tullio Pericoli, all the way to Zerocalcare.
Special focus is given to Francesco Tullio Altan, a key figure in linus’ history, who in 2025 celebrates the 50th anniversary of La Pimpa. The exhibition includes ten original illustrations – featuring characters like Cipputi and the irresistible polka-dotted dog – that showcase his sharp, satirical, and tenderly surreal view of Italian society.
Happy Birthday Linus is more than an exhibition: it is a tribute to a Milanese cultural icon, capable of spanning recent history with both lightness and depth. Set in one of the city’s most symbolic locations, between neoclassical columns and the great masters of painting, the show creates an unexpected dialogue between high and popular art, between the past and a future still to be drawn.
The exhibition is free and open to the public until September 9, 2025.
A perfect opportunity to stop by the Honor Courtyard of the Pinacoteca di Brera and be surprised by sixty years of comic strips, covers, and illustrated satire.
