A Century of Art Crisis: From Venturi to Van Gogh
Nicola Mafessoni reflects on the perennial perception of crisis in the Italian art world, drawing parallels across a century. He cites a 1924 article in 'Vita Artistica' titled 'C'è una crisi dell'arte in Italia,' which featured an interview with Professor Adolfo Venturi lamenting a market downturn with decreased demand, increased supply, forgeries, and foreign distrust. Mafessoni traces similar complaints through history: Van Gogh's 1885 letters from Antwerp to his brother Theo about merchants being 'une nation retirée du monde'; dealer Karl Nierendorf's 1947 letter to Nina Kandinsky citing political crises, monetary fluctuations, and strikes paralyzing Europe; and the 1950s New York market struggling to find American buyers for Pollock and others like Rothko, Newman, Motherwell, Still, Reinhardt, and de Kooning. He concludes with Marcel Broodthaers' 1970 Düsseldorf question to his cat about whether a painting is good, answered 'Miaow.' Mafessoni urges supporting good contemporary art despite the enduring difficulty of recognizing it.
Key facts
- Article 'L'Italia s'è persa' notes Italian exclusion from Venice Biennale, Manifesta, Cannes Film Festival, and FIFA World Cup.
- 1924 magazine 'Vita Artistica' founded by Tullio Gramantieri with editors Roberto Longhi and Emilio Cecchi.
- First article in 'Vita Artistica' was 'C'è una crisi dell'arte in Italia' interviewing Professor Adolfo Venturi.
- Venturi identified a crisis with decreased demand, increased supply, many forgeries sold by antiquarians, and foreign distrust.
- Van Gogh wrote to his brother Theo from Antwerp on December 28, 1885, complaining of poverty and merchants being 'une nation retirée du monde'.
- Karl Nierendorf wrote to Nina Kandinsky in 1947 about paralysis from political crises, monetary fluctuations, and strikes.
- In 1950s New York, gallerists struggled to find an American market for Pollock, Rothko, Newman, Motherwell, Still, Reinhardt, and de Kooning.
- Marcel Broodthaers in Düsseldorf in 1970 asked his cat if a painting was good; the cat replied 'Miaow'.
Entities
Artists
- Nicola Mafessoni
- Tullio Gramantieri
- Roberto Longhi
- Emilio Cecchi
- Adolfo Venturi
- Vincent Van Gogh
- Theo van Gogh
- Karl Nierendorf
- Nina Kandinsky
- Wassily Kandinsky
- Jackson Pollock
- Mark Rothko
- Barnett Newman
- Robert Motherwell
- Clyfford Still
- Ad Reinhardt
- Willem de Kooning
- Marcel Broodthaers
Institutions
- Confederazione nazionale degli amici dell'arte
- Vita Artistica
- Biennale di Venezia
- Manifesta
- Festival del cinema di Cannes
- FIFA World Cup
Locations
- Italy
- Venice
- Antwerp
- Belgium
- United States
- New York
- Rome
- Düsseldorf
- Germany
Sources
- Artslife —