1959: Barbie's debut, Abstract Expressionism tour, and Fellini in focus

The year 1959 marked the launch of Barbie on March 9, created by Ruth Handler, co-founder of Mattel. In 1986, Andy Warhol painted a portrait of Barbie Peaches'n Cream for Mattel, now held at its California headquarters. That same year, the Museum of Modern Art in New York organized the traveling exhibition 'New American Painting,' curated by Dorothy Miller, which toured eight European countries. It introduced European audiences to Abstract Expressionism through works by 16 artists including Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, Willem de Kooning, and Barnett Newman. The exhibition influenced many artists, including Dan Flavin, who began creating assemblages and collages that year. Also in 1959, photojournalist Vittoriano Rastelli moved to Rome and photographed Federico Fellini, capturing both the director and the man. An exhibition of Rastelli's Fellini photographs runs until March 14 at the Casa del Cinema in Rome.