Went yesterday the see the exhibition of the Milanese sculptor Adolfo Wildt (pronounced ‘Vilt’) called ‘L’anima e le forme da Michelangelo a Klimt’ (The soul and forms from Michelangelo to Klimt) at the elegant Musei San Domenico in Forlì, Emilia Romagna which runs until 17th June 2012.
This was not an artist I’d heard of previously and it seems I am not alone in this as he’s a largely forgotten figure operating on the fringes of experimental figurative art without fitting into either the avant-garde or mainstream classical movements.
Gustav Wildt (1968 - 1931)
“He was placeless and everything” according the introduction on the gallery’s fairly pompous audio guide which also talked about the “languid anatomies” in his work.
One of the first pieces displayed is the self-portrait (see pictured left) which expresses the anguished self doubt and inner turmoil that determined his artistic direction.
Many of the other works displayed show moods ranging from the quiet grace of Madonna-like figures to other souls in torment.
The large busts of Benito Mussolini portray the Fascist dictator in heroic fashion which makes you question the artist’s political purity, and bearing the name Adolfo is hardly reassuring on this count.
The exhibition and guide skirt this issue, focusing instead on the connections between his works and other symbolist artists, notably Gustav Klimt.
Definitely worth seeing and the exhibition does a good job of persuading patrons that this marginal outsider figure deserves a position more towards the centre stage of late 19th /early 20th century period.
I’m glad you noted the exhibition, but I think you are a little unfair in your comment about his first name. Yes, he did create the monumental head of Mussolini, but if I remember correctly that was done in the 1920’s. Wildt died in 1931–not that many of the horrors of Italian fascism were not evident by then, but not as evident as in the mid-1930’s. In spite of the Mussolini head, he is still recognized as one of the great Italian sculptors of the modern age–and he is even included in the current Palazzo Strozzi exhibition, “THE THIRTIES: THE ARTS IN ITALY BEYOND FASCISM.”
Thanks for the comment, John. You’re right – the comment about Wildt’s name was, upon refection, probably below the belt! I wanted to see the Palazzo Strozzi exhibition but I see that it ends on 27th January 2013 so unless I can hot-foot to Florence this weekend it looks like I’ll miss it. 🙁