AN ETERNAL BEAUTY – The Classical Canon in Early 20th Century Italian Art

After a resounding success in Madrid, Rovereto welcomes the extraordinary exhibition produced by Mart and Fundación MAPFRE, An Eternal Beauty, featured in the Spanish capital from 25 February to 4 June under the title Retorno a la belleza. An Eternal Beauty is the historical and ideal continuation of the major exhibition in 2016 titled Painters of Light: from Divisionism to Futurism, featured in Madrid in the spring and in Rovereto in the summer, drawing in close to one hundred thousand visitors. 

For the second year in a row, the international Italo-Spanish partnership offers visitors to the two museums an exceptional opportunity to encounter a selection of absolute masterpieces of early 20th century Italian art.  Both exhibitions are curated by Beatrice Avanzi and Daniela Ferrari.

Featuring absolute masterpieces from the early twentieth century, An Eternal Beauty traces an itinerary among the works of the masters of Italian art who looked to the past and its classical canon as sources of inspiration. In a rare and precious synthesis of classical evocations and modern aspirations, some masters abandoned the experimentation of the previous years without denying their own times, without nostalgia, without turning back, on a quest for perfection, harmony, and the rules implicit therein.

[ph: Felice Casorati, Ritratto di Renato Gualino, (dettaglio) 1923-1924 olio su compensato  – Istituto Matteucci Viareggio]