Romolo Romani: The Forgotten Pioneer of Abstract Painting

The article examines the life and legacy of Romolo Romani, an Italian painter born in Milan in 1884 and deceased in Brescia in 1916, whose contributions to abstract art have been largely overlooked. Romani developed geometric and interior abstraction between 1905 and 1910, utilizing pastels and inks in series such as Prismi, Gocce, and Immagine, predating Vasilij Kandinskij's non-figurative work. Despite his early innovation, Romani's reputation was eclipsed by Kandinskij's global fame. His fate is contrasted with that of Umberto Boccioni, a fellow avant-garde artist who died seven days after Romani in August 1916. While Boccioni was celebrated as a martyr of modernity, Romani died in a psychiatric hospital, stigmatized as a 'mad painter.' Archival records indicate Romani suffered from untreated tuberculosis that spread to his meninges, causing severe fevers and delirium. His hospitalization in Brescia coincided with Italy's entry into World War I, when mental asylums were overwhelmed, leading to doubled mortality rates. Romani is thus considered an indirect victim of the Great War. A posthumous exhibition in 1920 by the Famiglia Artistica failed to revive interest. The article argues that recognizing Romani's achievements, akin to those of Hilma af Klint, is essential to restoring his dignity and acknowledging his pioneering role in abstraction.