Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Proserpina
(Rape of Persephone), and his magnificent depiction of Daphne transforming
into a laurel tree in
Apollo e Dafne
(Apollo and Daphne).
NEOCLASSICISM
Emerging in the late-18th and early-19th centuries, neoclassicism signalled a departure from the emotional aban-
don of the baroque and a return to the clean, sober lines of classical art. Its major exponent was the sculptor Anto-
nio Canova (1757−1822), whose study of Paolina Bonaparte Borghese as
Venere Vincitrice
(Venus Victrix) in the
Museo e Galleria Borghese is typical of the mildly erotic sculpture for which he became known.
Frescoes
Fresco painting continued to provide work for artists well into the 17th century. Important
exponents include Domenichino (1581−1641), whose decorative works adorn the Chiesa
di San Luigi dei Francesi and the Chiesa di Sant'Andrea della Valle; Pietro da Cortona
(1596−1669), author of the
Trionfo della Divina Provvidenza
(Triumph of Divine Provid-
ence) in Palazzo Barberini; and Annibale Carracci (1560−1609), the genius behind the
frescoes in Palazzo Farnese, said by some to equal those of the Sistine Chapel.
Emerging about 1520, mannerism bridged the gap between the Renaissance and baroque eras. Signature
traits include the use of artificial colours and figures with elongated limbs posed in florid settings. It was
much derided by later critics for distorting the balance of Renaissance art in favour of more emotional ex-
pression.
The 20th-century
In artistic terms, the early 20th century was marked by the development of two very dif-
ferent movements: futurism and metaphysical painting (
pittura metafisica
), an early form
of surrealism.
Futurism
Often associated with fascism, Italian futurism was an ambitious movement, embracing
not only the visual arts but also architecture, music, fashion and theatre. It started with the
publication of Filippo Tommaso Marinetti's
Manifesto del futurismo
(Manifesto of Futur-
ism) in 1909, which was backed up a year later by the futurist painting manifesto written
by Umberto Boccioni (1882−1916), Giacomo Balla (1871−1958), Luigi Russolo
(1885−1947) and Gino Severini (1883−1966). A rallying cry for modernism and a vitriol-
ic rejection of artistic traditions, these manifestos highlighted dynamism, speed, ma-
