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Traces

  • Traces

    Dialoguing with art in the Museum of Costume and Fashion

    Traces
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    Introduction

    The new arrangement of the Museum of Costume and Fashion – presented here digitally – was sparked by the desire to try out a combination of itineraries, highlighting the common critical elements shared by various artistic languages.

    This non-chronological presentation was part of a bid to foster a different vision of the works, an experiment in interpretation that encourages the public to participate even only based on their interest in the online presentation, an initial, extremely brief analysis that should lead to further causes for interpretation and subsequent in-depth considerations.

    Indeed, the itinerary and the elements it hosts have been positioned in such a way as to reintroduce the visitor to these harmonies of different languages composed of style, beauty but also the contrast with the previous cultural experiences.

    The works were selected according to the correspondence of the forms and decorative elements of the garments themselves and of the latter with the paintings and sculptures, almost for fun, as if we had created containers, each one corresponding to an individual section where to add similar images from the formal and sometimes conceptual point of view.

    All the protagonists of the event (clothes, accessories, paintings and sculptures) dialogue with one another and with their own images, reflected in the mirrors which characterise the arrangement, in the ‘real’ exhibition on view at the Museum of Costume and Fashion starting from 19 December 2017, in an atmosphere that enthrals visitors, engaging them in this game of forms and colours.

    This itinerary had already been ‘traced’ in the previous selections, when the Gallery of Modern Art offered paintings and sculptures which were displayed as silent presences, to such a degree that only a particularly expert gaze was capable of perceiving their relationship with clothes and accessories, as well as their mere function of elements used to furnish the space. This time, all the works exhibited play the same leading role.

    Moreover, the word ‘trace’ in its many different meanings already has a root whose etymon should lead us, in parallel, to pursue elements that appear similar but are different, and which are generated and develop in the same historical and cultural climate. The kind of traces that can be identified in different forms of language and which are capable of generating amazement for their nearly on target suggestions and creative analogies.

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    Memoirs of an artist

    The tour commences with the bold scenography presented by the imposing male nudes, painted by Emilio Ambron in 1927, and with the Portrait of Andreana Peruzzi de’ Medici. The portrait’s beautiful subject is wearing a simple dress that glides downwards into wide folds, almost like strips of colour that together create the idea of a wide, multi-coloured corolla. She is accompanied by the portrait of her husband, the Marchese Ridolfo, also painted by Alberto Magnelli.

    After these solemn presences, we meet with the almost timid presence of a model from the early ‘60s realized by Cesare Guidi: an Evening Dress that, while opening out into a soft v-neck and enlarging in a full skirt below the hips, narrows down to a closed hem, almost as if to form a shell around the body. Alongside is a floaty creation by Lanvin, inspired by the Japanese style, both in the kimono shape and the black floral design, floating over an ivory background. This introduces the next section, together with a sartorial dress from the 1950s and an outfit with cape by Pino Lancetti, entirely decorated with printed and woven flowers.

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    Memoirs of an artist

    Emilio Ambron

    Rome 1905-1996

    Study of a male nude

    1926-1927

    Oil on canvas

    Donated by C. Ambron, 1999

     

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    Memoirs of an artist

    Emilio Ambron

    Rome 1905-1996

    Study of a male nude

    1926-1927

    Oil on canvas

    Donated by C. Ambron, 1999

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    Memoirs of an artist

    Alberto Magnelli

    Florence 1888 – Meudon (France) 1971

    Portrait of the Marchesa Andreana

    1913

    Oil on canvas

    Bequeathed by Zena Peruzzi de’ Medici, 2012

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    Memoirs of an artist

    Alberto Magnelli

    Florence 1888 – Meudon (France) 1971

    Portrait of Marchese Ridolfo Peruzzi de’ Medici

    1913

    Oil on canvas

    Bequeathed by Zena Peruzzi de’ Medici, 2012

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    Memoirs of an artist

    Cesare Guidi

    Evening dress

    Sella Collection 1959

    Silk grosgrain

    TA 5417

    Donated by Associazione Tornabuoni – Linea Più

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    Memoirs of an artist

    Leonor Fini

    Buenos Aires (Argentina) 1908 – Paris (France) 1996

    Nude

    1930

    Oil on canvas

    Gift from Ambron, 1956

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    Memoirs of an artist

    Arrigo Minerbi

    Ferrara 1881 – Padua 1960

    Spring Morning

    1919

    Torso cast in bronze and white plaster

    Chini bequest, 1952

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    Memoirs of an artist

    Jeanne Lanvin

    Robe-style dress

    River 2004

    Silk satin embroidered with black silk chain stitch with tufts of silk thread to create the pistils

    GGC 7235

    Donated by Cecilia Matteucci Lavarini

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    Memoirs of an artist

    Sartoria Piera Filippini Milan

    Cocktail dress with underskirt

    1954 ca.

    Brocade velvet on a backing of laminated interfacing with appliqué sequins, underskirt in tulle and lycra, with high flounce in taffeta

    GCC 8832

    Donated by Milena Polacco

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    Memoirs of an artist

    Pino Lancetti Roma

    Outfit: Bodice, skirt, cape and sash

    Autumn/Winter 1977-78

    Figured satin, laminated with gold thread and printed in multi-coloured flowers

    TA 3254

    Donated by Umberto Tirelli

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    Flowers. The Colours of Nature

    A floral homage covering a wide timescale, such as the oriental-influenced decoration on the outfit by Irene Galitzine, through to the flower prints by Comme des Garçons. Due to the free style used in their making, both the tailcoat and the vest have contributed to breaking down stereotypes in the fashion world, a characteristic for which the Japanese brand stands out. And all this under the distracted, introspective gaze of two mysterious female figures: The Gorgons by Domenico Trentacoste, once antefixa for a fireplace.

    The female body, with its soft, round forms, as shown in the nudes by Leonor Fini and Arrigo Minerbi, has an excellent ally in the fabrics used to dress it and the ornaments that decorate it. Flowers are widely used for this purpose, and in all shapes and forms, they are among the best-loved protagonists.

    Like in the multi-coloured floral universe of Dior, almost a paradise lost, flowers, from mere images on display, become ever-changing shapes that shift as the seasons pass, both in the painting by Sergio Scatizzi and on the bouffant Dior dress.

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    The colours of nature

    Domenico Trentacoste

    Palermo 1856 – Florence 1933

    Woman’s head

    1903 ca.

    High relief in plaster

    Donated by Fernanda Ojetti, 1933

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    The colours of nature

    Domenico Trentacoste

    Palermo 1856 – Florence 1933

    Woman’s head

    1903 ca.

    High relief in plaster

    Donated by Fernanda Ojetti, 1933

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    The colours of nature

    Irene Galitzine Rome

    Two-piece outfit: Dress and jacket with belt

    1962

    Printed silk with beading

    TA 3898/9

    Donated by Umberto Tirelli

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    The colours of nature

    Gianfranco Ferré for Dior Couture

    Evening dress

    “Au vent léger d’un été” Collection; Spring/ Summer 1992

    Silk organza and satin

    GGC 8709

    Donated by Cecilia Matteucci Lavarini

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    The colours of nature

    Comme des Garçons

    Tailcoat

    Spring/Summer 2004

    Cotton twill, polyester, wool

    GGC 6878

    Donated by Cecilia Matteucci Lavarini

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    The colours of nature

    Comme des Garçons

    Vest

    Spring/Summer 2004

    Printed cotton denim, polyester, wool

    GGC 6879

    Donated by Cecilia Matteucci Lavarini

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    The colours of nature

    Sergio Scatizzi

    Gragnano (Lucca) 1918 – Florence 2009

    Flowers

    1959-1960

    Oil on hardboard

    Donated by the artist, 1998

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    Weaves

    One of the designers who works with this ‘play’ on shapes, with these weaves in raffia, ribbons and lace, is Gianfranco Ferré, a refined artist who has experimented a great deal, making various styles his own by filtering them through his own creative eye, to bring genuine masterpieces to life. This room is a wonderful expression of his ability to work with variations on a theme and to develop them, taking a genuinely experimental approach, thanks to his infinite repertoire of different languages.

    In the same room, there is the Sea creature painted by Romano Campagnoli, representing a living form, a kind of wreck that has survived in a spectacular, abstract vision, inspired by his years of study with Felice Casorati.

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    Weaves

    Gianfranco Ferré

    Prêt-à-porter dress

    Autumn/Winter 1992-93

    Crepe silk and gold lace

    TA 7456

    Donated by Gianfranco Ferré

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    Weaves

    Gianfranco Ferré

    Couture dress

    Spring/Summer 1989

    Silk cady and raffia

    TA 7487

    Donated by Gianfranco Ferré

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    Weaves

    Gianfranco Ferré

    Couture bodysuit and skirt

    Spring/Summer 1989

    Bodysuit in tulle and beading, lace, tulle and organza skirt

    TA 7472/73

    Donated by Gianfranco Ferré

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    Weaves

    Romano Campagnoli

    Turin 1934 - Carpi (Modena) 2009

    Sea creature

    1967 ca.

    Oil on canvas

    Purchased at the XVIII Mostra Internazionale d’Arte del Fiorino, Florence, 1967

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    Weaves

    Gianfranco Ferré

    Couture dress

    Spring/Summer 1989

    Shantung silk, mesh, organza, raffia, and sequins

    TA 7485

    Donated by Gianfranco Ferré

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    Weaves

    Philip Treacy Londra

    Hat

    Spring/Summer 1993

    Straw, polyester, metal mesh

    GGC6835

    Donated by Cecilia Matteucci Lavarini

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    Etchings

    Gualtiero Nativi, the most lyrical exponent of classic abstract, presents this image as a painful reflection on the perception of a possible lack of communication between the different trends of contemporary culture, leading to a sort of extraneousness not unlike the atmospheres painted by Casorati.

    This can be seen on a purely formal level in the use of subtly overlaid gold- and silver-coloured materials that crisscrossing the dress to create undulating, floating lines which in Marras are put together to explode in silver silicone inflorescences, faithful to his way of treating materials and techniques, never taking their classical usage into account. Differently, through her decorations, Mila Schön confirms her clear, elegant detachment from the exaggerated disorder of Seventies fashion.

    The Diaphragm by Bruno Benelli, an element cast in iron, shows that while the creations of the fashion world – dresses, accessories, bags, shoes and belts – all made use of different metals in the period 1960-70, the same sort of use was also making headway in the language of sculpture.

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    Etchings

    Mirko Basaldella

    Udine 1910 – Cambridge (Massachusetts) 1969

    Judith

    Cast bronze figurine

    Premio Carmine at the XVII Mostra Internazionale d’Arte del Fiorino Florence, 1966

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    Etchings

    Gualtiero Nativi

    Pistoia 1921 – Greve in Chianti (Florence) 1996

    Laceration

    1959

    Oil on canvas

    Purchased at the XI Mostra Internazionale d’Arte del Fiorino, Florence, 1960

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    Etchings

    Mila Schön

    Evening dress

    Autumn/Winter 1967-68

    Tulle embroidered with glass tube beads and rhinestones

    TA 3916

    Donated by Umberto Tirelli

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    Etchings

    Mila Schön

    Evening dress

    1966/67

    Silk cady with gold and anthracite grey beading

    GGC 8667

    Donated by Chiara Boni

    Provenance Maria Teresa Masetti Fedi

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    Etchings

    Antonio Marras

    Dress

    Adelasia di Torres Collection (Il sale), Autumn/Winter 1998/99

    Lurex gauze with appliqué design in plastic (?) and silver varnish, joined by floating white cotton threads

    TA 13363

    Donated by Gianfranco Grimaldi

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    Etchings

    Bruno Benelli

    Sesto Fiorentino (Florence) 1943

    Diaphragm

    1971 ca.

    Cast element in aged iron

    Purchased at the XX Biennale Internazionale d’arte Premio del Fiorino, 1971

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    Formal archetypes

    In this room, the late work by Mirko Basaldella is the atavistic image of a Judith, almost a primitive totem of sharp elements that show off their corrosion in what is almost a formal clash between archaic bisectors and modern languages.

    While in his Portrait of a lady in a fur coat from 1939, Oreste Zuccoli shows an obvious v-neck, together with a lengthy opening in a black cardigan, architect Savioli, in his river landscape with its colour dilutions, comes close to the tones of the Balmain dress, due to the depth of the orange that softens towards the hem with a wide feathery trim.

    The clothes by Roberto Cavalli represent his early years working with leather and then making a name for himself with his animal prints which can also be seen in the nature-inspired feathers printed on fabrics and seen as if through a zoom lens. Both of these are archetypal of the designer’s work, while the feathers and the pleated red organza preserve all of the light, airy elegance of the first classic Balmain, who was in fact moving towards the decline of his professional career.

    Archetypal shapes are reflected in the ostrich skin outfit by Paco Rabanne, in a style that is definitely more traditional than his typical creations that overturned entire concepts of fashion. Rabanne, who became established in the 60s, stated that:

    Creation has to be a game, since fashion is useless. But since society forces us to change it continuously, then let’s change it quickly and never stop inventing the craziest things! Basically, I want to accelerate decomposition“.

    In the same section is a leather jacket by Ferré, which is reminiscent of a piece of armour, and a Fendi sheepskin and horsehair coat with an archaic, primitive feel.

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    Formal archetypes

    Gianfranco Ferré

    Prêt-à-porter jacket

    Spring/Summer 1993

    Leather with metal buckles

    GGC 6847

    Donated by Cecilia  Matteucci Lavarini

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    Formal archetypes

    Guido Pasquali

    Boots

    1970 ca.

    Leather

    GGC 6814

    Donated by Cecilia Matteucci Lavarini

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    Formal archetypes

    Paco Rabanne

    Suit: jacket and skirt 

    Autumn/Winter 1991-1992

    Ostrich skin

    GGC  7263

    Donated by Cecilia Matteucci Lavarini

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    Formal archetypes

    Fendi Rome

    Coat

    1995 ca.

    Reverse sheepskin and horsehair

    TA  8927

    Donation and Provenance: Gabriella Alessi

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    Formal archetypes

    Oreste Zuccoli

    Florence 1889 - 1980

    Portrait of a lady in a fur coat

    1939

    Oil on canvas

    Purchased at the XXII Venice Art Biennale, 1940

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    Formal archetypes

    RAM (Ruggero Alfredo Michahelles)

    Firenze 1898-1976

    Velvet hat

    Oil on canvas

    1927

    Purchased from Amalia Michahelles, 1998

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    Formal archetypes

    Leonardo Savioli

    Florence 1917 - 1982

    River landscape

    1939

    Oil on paperboard

    Donated by Flora Wiechmann Savioli, 1997

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    Formal archetypes

    Pierre Balmain Haute Couture

    Evening dress 

    1970 ca.

    Silk, ostrich featheers

    GGC 6837

    Donated by Cecilia Matteucci Lavarini

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    Formal archetypes

    Roberto Cavalli

    2-piece outfit: skirt and blouse

    Spring Summer 2001

    Printed silk crêpe

    TA 8907

    Donated by Gabriella Alessi

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    Formal archetypes

    Roberto Cavalli

    Evening dress

    1975 ca.

    Printed silk, printed leather, metal and rhinestone fastening

    TA 8903

    Donated by Gabriella Alessi

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    Formal archetypes

    Roberto Cavalli

    Outfit: tunic and trousers

    1975 ca.

    Leather, rhinestones

    TA 8916

    Donated by Gabriella Alessi

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    Formal archetypes

    Pierre Balmain Paris

    Hat

    1960 ca.

    Feather, veil

    TA 6968

    Donated by Laura Barbi

    Provenance Gertie Schwarzenbach

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    Formal archetypes

    Cristobal Balenciaga

    Hat

    1960 ca.

    Mallard feathers and velvet

    TA 6967

    Donated by Laura Barbi

    Provenance Gertie Schwarzenbach

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    Archetipi formali

    Modisteria Biancalani

    Headgear

    1966 ca.

    Marabou feathers and taffeta

    TA 6842

    Donated by Carlo Olivieri

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    Graphisms

    A graphic stroke glides, stops, and resumes, like the fountain pen on the dress attributed to the extraordinary talent of Elsa Schiaparelli, who interpreted these bold, imaginative strokes; or the wave motif, as repeated on the dress from the “Palio” collection by Emilio Pucci. And while the graphic marks of Florentine designer Chiara Boni take us full on into Pop Art, it is interesting to look at the affinities between an outfit decorated in complementary tile patterns by Valentino and one that repeats “Mondrian-style” graphic design by Emilio Schuberth, both inspired by an abstract repertoire, black on white and white on black.

    A silvery pattern decorates the bodice of a cocktail dress by fashion designer and photographer Karl Lagerfeld. A calm sense of contrast comes from the evening dress by Forquet, where a dark decorative strip is wound to form parallel lines along the whole length.

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    Graphisms

    Elsa Schiaparelli

    Dress

    1946 ca

    Printed silk

    TA 3880

    Donated by Umberto Tirelli

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    Graphism

    Emilio Pucci, Palio Collection

    Wave Contrada dress

    Spring/Summer 1957

    Printed cotton

    TA 6143

    Donated by Emilio Pucci

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    Graphisms

    Chiara Boni

    Kway Shirt,You Tarzan/me Jane collection

    1974

    Polyacetate and polyamide, polyamide, nylon

    GGC 8669

    Donated by Chiara Boni

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    Graphism

    Chiara Boni

    Jacket, You Tarzan/me Jane collection

    1974

    Polyester, polyamide and nylon

    GGC 8702

    Donated by Chiara Boni

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    Graphisms

    Karl Lagerfeld

    Cocktail dress

    1975

    Viscose with synthetic foil appliqué

    TA 8024

    Donated by Associazione Amici della Galleria del Costume

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    Graphisms

    Valentino

    Two-piece outfit: dress and jacket

    1967

    Wool jacket and printed silk dress

    TA 3909/10

    Donated by Umberto Tirelli

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    Graphisms

    The room containing the weaves by Roberta di Camerino, the trompe l’oeil couturier, is an excellent setting for the dense, lively abstract art placed in flat frames, emerging from the black ribbon in relief that defines the work by Mario Nuti, using the cultured, essential expression that he had identified in 1950, the year of the first experiments in abstract art in Florence.

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    Graphism

    Forquet

    Evening dress

    1968

    Silk with tubular bead appliqués

    TA 6519

    Donation and Provenance: Anna Bozza

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    Graphism

    Roberta di Camerino, Venice

    Dress, Gallo Frecciato model

    1975-76

    Polyester jersey

    TA 6861

    Donated by Giuliana Coen di Camerino

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    Graphism

    Gherardini

    Jacket

    1985-90

    Silk satin

    GCC 2795

    Donated by Susanna Gherardini

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    Graphisms

    Missoni e Wolford

    Stockings

    2006

    Nylon

    GGC 6823

    Donated by Cecilia Matteucci Lavarini

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    Graphic abstraction

    The room containing the weaves by Roberta di Camerino, the trompe l’oeil couturier, is an excellent setting for the dense, lively Abstract art enshrined in flat frames, like the black ribbon in relief that defines the work by Mario Nuti, by using the cultured, essential expression that he had identified in 1950, the year of the first experiments in Abstract art in Florence.

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    Graphic abstraction

    Mario Nuti

    Florence 1923-1996

    Composition

    1950

    Oil on canvas

    Donated by Nicola Nuti, 2001

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    Graphism

    Roberta di Camerino, Venice

    Dress, Gallo Frecciato model

    1975-76

    Polyester jersey

    TA 6861

    Donated by Giuliana Coen di Camerino

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    Graphic abstraction

    Roberta di Camerino

    Treccia Umbrella

    1975-76

    Wooden handle, metal struts, polyester fabric

    TA 6856

    Donated by Giuliana Coen di Camerino

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    Graphic abstraction

    Roberta di Camerino, Venice

    Treccia foulard 

    1975-76

    Silk 

    TA 6855

    Donated by Giuliana Coen di Camerino

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    Dots

    Perfect, circular shapes, like the straw hat worn by the Girl in the Sun by Chiappelli. They don’t set a trend because they have been there forever: shapes that are classic and abstract at the same time. Circles and dots are decorative features that never go out of fashion, thanks to their certain, perfect repetitiveness. They invade and expand, overcoming fabrics on the boutique designs of Valentino, although Ferré too, makes good use of dots. This Forquet minidress seems to show the metamorphosis of an immense dot into a comma, a stylised design of the cashmere motif. On the Capucci dress, a dotted silk fabric highlights the complex shape of the central front section.

    In the same room, an entry by young Swiss artist Walter Linck for the Mostra dell’Unione Fiorentina exhibition (better known as the “Fiorino”, which only opened to sculpture in 1959), a small geometric composition entitled Composition - Lyrics and Sign (1952-1963), which plays on the materials and perfection of small round elements that create lines and volumes.

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    Dots

    Valentino Boutique

    Evening dress

    1990 ca.

    Silk with sequin appliqués

    GGC 7297

    Donated by Cecilia Matteucci Lavarini

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    Dots

    Valentino

    Coat

    1988 ca.

    Silk satin with sequin appliqués

    GGC 7310

    Donated by Cecilia Matteucci Lavarini

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    Dots

    Walter Linck

    Bern (Switzerland) 1903 – Zollikofen (Switzerland) 1975

    Composition - Lyrics and sign

    1952 -63

    Composition cast in iron and steel

    Purchased at the XVI Mostra Internazionale Premio del Fiorino, Florence, 1965

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    Dots

    Roberto Capucci Rome

    Serpentine dress

    Spring Summer 1982

    Gros de Tours and printed silk

    TA 1951

    Donated by the Florence Centre for Italian Fashion

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    Dots

    Gianfranco Ferré

    Outfit: jacket, T-shirt and skirt

    Spring Summer 1988

    Textured cotton with appliqués and embroidery

    TA 7507/09

    Donated by Gianfranco Ferré

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    Dots

    Forquet

    Dress

    1968

    Wool fabric

    TA 6538

    Provenance Anna Bozza

    Donated by Paolo Bozza

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    Dots

    Francesco Chiappelli

    Pistoia 1890 – Florence 1947

    Girl in the Sun

    1932

    Oil on canvas

    Purchased from the artist, 1937

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    Dots

    Italian manufacture

    Hat

    1980 ca.

    Felt

    TA 13442

    Donated by Luciana Chiostri Corsi

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    Complementary shapes

    The exponents of classic Abstract art, although all different, are nonetheless a great source of talent in the quest for new languages. Evidence of this common research can be found in the long partnership (1952-1959) between designer Emilio Pucci and Alvaro Monnini and his wife, Micol De Palma, who drew for the designer, bringing their trademark style into the atelier, and making it the vocation of the whole group.

    In line with designers such as Yves Saint Laurent, whose autumn-winter collection for 1964-65 was inspired by the Constructivism of Mondrian, geometric patterns became the graphic repertoire of many couturiers and designers, with different, customised approaches, such as the various expressive methods used by Emilio Pucci and Roberta di Camerino, both illustrious exponents of Made in Italy. Here, the geometric style of Roberta di Camerino is put to work in a three-dimensional model taken applied to a two-dimensional design, with a particular trompe l’oeil effect.

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    Complementary shapes

    Alvaro Monnini

    Florence 1922 – Milan 1987

    Composition

    1948

    Oil on canvas

    Donated by Micol di Palma Monnini, 1996

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    Complementary shapes

    Emilio Pucci Firenze

    Evening dress and two foulards in silk

    Spring/Summer 1981

    Printed silk organza

    TA 6177

    Donated by Emilio Pucci

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    Complementary shapes

    Emilio Pucci

    Dress

    1965

    Silk sweater with fringe

    TA 6287

    Donated by Nicoletta Pucci

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    Complementary shapes

    Roberta di Camerino

    Herringbone Sciarpone dress

    1976-77

    Polyester jersey

    TA 6852

    Donated by Giuliana Coen di Camerino

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    Complementary shapes

    Missoni

    Barbaros model playsuit

    Spring/Summer 1973

    Ban lon artificial silk dress

    TA 6620

    Donated by Anna Bozza

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  • 83/124
    New architectures

    Every dress becomes three-dimensional when worn, and it follows the structure of the body, almost turning it into an architectural element. This is most clearly seen when there are certain interventions in place, such as on the impeccable 1940s dress, made in Tortona which, although a severe design, is still able to highlight the feminine aspects of a woman’s figure: the hips, waist and bust, with the shoulders carefully supported. It has a compact form and historically, it is poles apart from the corsets of Jean Paul Gaultier. Pierre Cardin builds a structure that alludes to the body, but it imprisons it too, without making too many allowances for its shape. Similar characteristics can be found on the coat of the first Capucci. Even in the sketch for the new Autostrada del Sole motorway by Antonio Antony De Witt, the open and closed shapes, and the light and shade are added following the same formal idea of Pierre Cardin.

    Rosaiano from the beginning, Nino Tirinnanzi depicts the church of Cestello in a leaden setting, with all the shades of grey, like the layered veil dress designed by Jean Paul Gaultier for Gibò.

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  • 84/124
    New architectures

    Every dress becomes three-dimensional when worn, and it follows the structure of the body, almost turning it into an architectural element. This is most clearly seen when there are certain interventions in place, such as on the impeccable 1940s dress, made in Tortona which, although being a severe design, is still able to highlight the feminine aspects of a woman’s figure: the hips, waist and bust, with the shoulders carefully supported. Historically, it is poles apart from the compact corsets by Jean Paul Gaultier. Pierre Cardin builds a structure that alludes to the body, but it imprisons it too, without making too many allowances for its shape. Similar characteristics can be found on the coat of the first Capucci. Even in the sketch for the new Autostrada del Sole motorway by Antonio Antony De Witt, open and closed shapes, as well as lights and shades are added following the same formal idea of Pierre Cardin.

    Influenced by Rosai from the beginning of his career, Nino Tirinnanzi depicts the church of Cestello in a dull grey setting, with all the shades of grey, like the layered veil dress designed by Jean Paul Gaultier for Gibò.

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  • 85/124
    New architectures

    Pierre Cardin

    Dress with underskirt

    1960

    Silk, plastic, rhinestones

    TA 13400

    Donated by Banca di Credito Cooperativo di Cambiano

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  • 86/124
    New architectures

    Antonio Paolo Antony De Witt

    Livorno 1876 - 1967

    Autostrada del Sole, sketch

    1961

    Oil on cloth-centred board

    Donated by Sigfrid Ferrè De Witt (Legate), 1981

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  • 87/124
    New architectures

    Capucci Paris

    Outfil: dress and coat

    1965

    Wool fabric and silk

    TA 3911/12

    Donated by Umberto Tirelli

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  • 88/124
    New architectures

    Gucci

    Bamboo model bag

    1965

    Leather, bamboo, and metal

    TA 5448

    Donated by Associazione Tornabuoni - Linea Più

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  • 89/124
    New architectures

    Roberta di Camerino

    Bagonghi model trunk bag

    1960 ca.

    Silk velvet, leather, metal

    TA 6871

    Donated by Giuliana Coen di Camerino

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  • 90/124
    New architectures

    Gherardini

    Bag

    1968-69

    Suede with metal handle

    GGC 2812

    Donated by Susanna Gherardini

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  • 91/124
    New architectures

    Jean Paul Gaultier for Gibò, Florence

    Dress

    Spring Summer 1987

    Elastomer, polyamide

    TA 7870

    Donated by the Florence Centre for Italian Fashion

    Provenance: Antiques Market

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  • 92/124
    New architectures

    Nino Tirinnanzi

    Greve in Chianti (Florence) 1923 – Florence 2002

    Cestello Church

    1954

    Oil on canvas

    Purchased at the V Mostra Internazionale Premio del Fiorino, Florence, 1954

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  • 93/124
    New architectures

    Tortona Manufacture

    Suit

    1940 ca.

    Cotton shantung

    TA 7417

    Donated by Enrico Quinto and Paolo Tinarelli

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  • 94/124
    New architectures

    Franco Moschino

    Jacket from Cruise me baby collection

    Spring/Summer 1993

    Sequins, beads, silk

    TA 8763

    Dono Cecilia Torricelli

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  • 95/124
    New architectures

    Sandra Brunetti

    Rome 1925

    Self Portrait

    1979

    Oil on panel

    Donated by the artist, 1979

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  • 96/124
    Volumes and folds

    The solid terracotta figure of the imposing girl from Seano by Quinto Martini is moulded using clear-cut, severe shapes, with synthetically defined surfaces similar to the minimalist and rational tones of the ultra-fine pleating used by Japanese designer Issey Miyake, as well as of the contrasting volumes by Yohji Yamamoto.

    Mario Reggiani’s painting belongs to the latter part of his career; the yellow composition dating back to 1955 has, in its cuts, the same volumetric depths as found in the deep folds of the evening dress by Alma Maria Lami, to which it is related also thanks to the gradually accentuated reds, through to garnet.

    The Ophelia by Alimondo Ciampi uses bronze with textured, chiaroscuro surfaces to give us the image of a young woman abandoned, with limbs completely still.

    This section is dedicated to dresses that go beyond the wearer’s body to become almost natural, thanks to the folds that open out onto the space around them. These are contrasted with the outfits by Issey Miyake, which wholly envelop the body. The folds created by Maurizio Galante and the Bernardelli dressmakers in a dress from a pattern by Christian Dior are shown in full expansion, like in the coat by Junko Shimada, where the folds seem to rise up to the point that they deform the body.

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  • 97/124
    Volumes and folds

    Mauro Reggiani

    Nonantola (Modena) 1897 – Milan 1980

    Composition in yellow

    1955

    Oil on canvas

    Purchased at the VI Mostra Internazionale Premio del Fiorino, Florence, 1955

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  • 98/124
    Volumes and folds

    Roberto Capucci Rome

    Evening dress, Involucri model

    Spring Summer 1982

    Combination of different silk weaves (luisine, plain)

    TA 1952

    Donated by the Florence Centre for Italian Fashion

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  • 99/124
    Volumes and folds

    Sartoria Teresa Bernardelli from a model by Dior

    Dress

    1984

    Luisine silk, nylon gauze

    GGC 6838

    Donated by Cecilia Matteucci Lavarini

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  • 100/124
    Volumes and folds

    Alimondo Ciampi

    San Mauro a Signa (Florence) 1876 - 1939

    Ophelia

    1920

    High relief cast in bronze

    Donated by G. Ciampi Butini and G. Ciampi, 1963

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  • 101/124
    Volumes and folds

    Yohji Yamamoto

    Outfit: skirt and jacket

    Autumn/Winter 2003-2004

    Herringbone wool and silk chiffon

    TA 8559-8560

    Donated by Fondazione Pitti Discovery

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  • 102/124
    Volumes and folds

    Maison Jean Patou

    Cocktail dress with belt

    1965

    Silk, patent belt 

    TA 7876

    Donated by the Florence Centre for Italian Fashion

    Provenance: antiques market

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  • 103/124
    Volumes and folds

    Alma Maria Lami

    Ball gown, “Dannazione” model

    1956

    Silk satin decorated with sequins, beads, tubular beads and chenille

    TA 6693

    Donation and Provenance:  Lami

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  • 104/124
    Volumes and folds

    Libero Andreotti

    Pescia (Pistoia) 1875 – Florence 1933

    Young girl in sandals

    1915

    Statue cast in bronze

    Donated by Amici della Galleria d’Arte Moderna, 1925

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  • 105/124
    Volumes and folds

    Issey Miyake

    Outfit: sweater and skirt,

    Pleats Please collection 1995

    Pleated polyester

    TA13435

    Donated by Luciana Chiostri Corsi

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  • 106/124
    Volumes and folds

    Issey Miyake

    Outfit: Jacket, tunic and trousers

    Pleats Please collection 1995

    Pleated polyester

    TA 13430

    Donated by Luciana Chiostri Corsi

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  • 107/124
    Volumes and folds

    Quinto Martini

    Seano (Florence) 1908 – Florence 1990

    Portrait of a woman (“la Seanese”)

    1934

    Terracotta sculpture

    Donated by L. Martini, 1999

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  • 108/124
    Volumes and folds

    Maurizio Galante

    Dress

    Spring/ Summer 1994

    Silk gros de tours

    TA 8497

    Donated by Maurizio Galante

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  • 109/124
    Volumes and folds

    Junko Shimada /Giappone

    Coat

    date?

    Boiled wool and polyamide

    GGC 6873

    Donated by Cecilia Matteucci Lavarini

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  • 110/124
    Volumes and folds

    Alberto Savinio

    Athens (Greece) 1891 – Rome 1952

    Orpheus and Eurydice

    1951

    Mixed media on masonite

    Purchased at the XXVII Venice Art Biennale, 1954

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  • 111/124
    Volumes and folds

    Alimondo Ciampi

    San Mauro a Signa (Florence) 1876 - 1939

    Abandoned

    1931

    Statue carved in marble

    Donated by G. Ciampi Butini and G. Ciampi, 1965

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  • 112/124
    Volumes and folds

    Maurizio Galante

    Dress

    Spring/Summer 1994

    Silk gros de tours

    TA 8497

    Donated by Maurizio Galante

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  • 113/124
    Confetti in light

    His origins from the area bordering both Veneto and Trieste would lead Guido Marussig, creative and learned designer, to explore many contaminations with the main examples of European graphic design. Here, his festive representation of fireworks reminds us of the lights and colours reflected in the small sequinned tiles that decorate the dresses.

    The radiating light spreads over the sky above the gondolas in the painting by Marussig, moving on to the sequinned dress in increasingly pale shades of pink, dating back to the late 1920s, and on to the haute-couture dress by Giorgio Armani. The style of the artist-designer, whose dresses seem to be made just to be worn, is classic and, at the same time, slightly deconstructed, giving a subtle sense of carelessness to his unique elegance.

    The tour concludes with two light irradiating pairs of shoes by designer Christian Louboutin.

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  • 114/124
    Confetti in light

    Enrico Coveri

    “Torta ” model evening dress

    Spring/Summer 2013

    Knit fabric, sequins

    TA 13380

    Donated by Enrico Coveri Maison srl

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  • 115/124
    Confetti in lights

    Enrico Coveri, Italia

    “ Frutta” model, evening dress

    Spring/Summer 1996

    Knit fabric, sequins

    TA 13371

    Donated by Enrico Coveri Maison srl

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  • 116/124
    Confetti in lights

    Enrico Coveri

    ”Intarsio” model evening dress

    Autumn/Winter 1993-94

    Knit fabric, sequins

    TA13376

    Donated by Enrico Coveri Maison srl

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  • 117/124
    Confetti in lights

    Enrico Coveri, Italy

    Dress, “ Maxi Paillettes multicolore” model

    Autumn Winter 1990-91

    Knit fabric, sequins

    TA 13373

    Donated by Enrico Coveri Maison srl

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  • 118/124
    Confetti in lights

    Felice Casorati 

    The Stranger

    1930 ca.

    Oil on canvas

    Purchased at the XVI International Art Exhibition, Venice.

    Venice 1930

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  • 119/124
    Confetti in lights

    Christian Louboutin Paris

    Bridget’s Back spiked booties

    Autumn Winter 2011

    Gold leather with diamanté appliqués and metal tips

    GGC 8331

    Donated by Christian Louboutin

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  • 120/124
    Confetti in lights

    Christian Louboutin Paris

    Bridget’s Back spiked booties

    Autumn Winter 2011

    Gold leather with diamanté appliqués and metal tips

    GGC 8331

    Donated by Christian Louboutin

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  • 121/124
    Confetti in lights

    Italian manufacture

    Evening dress

    1930 ca.

    Silk organza and sequins

    TA  2964

    Donated Marchesa Giulia Afan De Rivera Costaguti

    Provenance Donna Franca Florio

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  • 122/124
    Confetti in light

    Giorgio Armani

    Evening dress

    Autumn Winter 2011

    Silk and sequins

    GGC 8902

    Donated by Giorgio Armani

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  • 123/124
    Confetti in light

    Guido Marussig

    Trieste 1885 – Gorizia 1972

    The Magical Tree (gondolas and fireworks)

    1914 ca.

    Oil on canvas

    Gallery of Modern Art Room 28

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  • 124/124
    Credits

    CREDITS

    This virtual tour was designed and developed in conjunction with the exhibition Traces. Dialoguing with art in the Museum of Costume and Fashion, opening at Palazzo Pitti, Museum of Costume and Fashion on 19 December 2017.

    Exhibition created and curated by:

    Caterina Chiarelli, Curator of the Museum of Costume and Fashion

    Tommaso Lagattolla

    Simonella Condemi, Curator of the Gallery of Modern Art of Pitti Palace

    Explanatory texts (introduction to the Exhibition and Sections, detailed descriptions of the works) by:

    Caterina Chiarelli

    Simonella Condemi

    With the collaboration of:

    Paolo Mambelli

    Alice Simoncini

    Iconographic research by:

    Antonella Alletto

    Ilaria Banchetti

    Serafina Bizzarri

    Anna Castelli

    Conny Catalano

    Alice Filipponi

    Paolo Mambelli

    Susi Piovanelli

    Katia Sanchioni

    Alice Simonicini

    Susanna Sordi

    Photographs by:     Photography Department of the Uffizi Galleries, Francesco Del Vecchio

                                       Archivio Sillabe, Antonio Quattrone, Marcello Bertoni, Paolo Bacherini.

     

    Please note: Each image in this virtual tour may be enlarged for more detailed viewing. The window that opens will also include technical information about each work (technique, size, inventory number).

Traces

Dialoguing with art in the Museum of Costume and Fashion

CREDITS

This virtual tour was designed and developed in conjunction with the exhibition Traces. Dialoguing with art in the Museum of Costume and Fashion opening at Palazzo Pitti, Museum of Costume and Fashion on 19 December 2017

Exhibition created and curated by:

Caterina Chiarelli, Curator of the Museum of Costume and Fashion

Tommaso Lagattolla

Simonella Condemi, Curator of the Gallery of Modern Art of Pitti Palace

Explanatory texts (introduction to the Exhibition and Sections, detailed descriptions of the works) by:

Caterina Chiarelli

Simonella Condemi

With the collaboration of:

Paolo Mambelli

Alice Simoncini

Iconographic research by:

Antonella Alletto

Ilaria Banchetti

Serafina Bizzarri

Anna Castelli

Conny Catalano

Alice Filipponi

Paolo Mambelli

Susi Piovanelli

Katia Sanchioni

Alice Simonicini

Susanna Sordi

Photographs by:     Photography Department of the Uffizi Galleries, Francesco Del Vecchio

                                   Archivio Sillabe, Antonio Quattrone, Marcello Bertoni, Paolo Bacherini.

 

Please note: Each image in this virtual tour may be enlarged for more detailed viewing. The window that opens will also include technical information about each work (technique, size, inventory number).

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