Alberto Savinio's Vibrant Works Take Over Palazzo Altemps in Rome

Palazzo Altemps in Rome hosts 'Savinio. Incanto e mito', a major exhibition of Alberto Savinio's colorful and geometric works, running from 2021. The show features over 90 pieces, including paintings, sketches, manuscripts, and books, mostly from the 1930s, sourced from private collections and museums such as Mart in Trento and Rovereto, Galleria Nazionale di Roma, Museo civico d'arte di Pordenone, Museo d'arte moderna Mario Rimoldi delle Regole d'Ampezzo, Pinacoteca comunale di Faenza, and Musée d'Art Moderne de Paris. Savinio, born in Athens in 1891 and died in Rome in 1952, is better known as a writer, overshadowed by his brother Giorgio de Chirico. The exhibition highlights his unique language blending color, geometric rigor, nature, industrial materials, and mythological figures. A section dedicated to his work as a set and costume designer includes pieces for 'Oedipus Rex' at La Scala in 1948 with Stravinsky's music, and 'The Tales of Hoffmann' in 1949 with Offenbach's music, with sketches from the Teatro alla Scala's historical archive. The show also displays Savinio's gods like 'Apollo' (1931) with a goose face, 'Les Dioscures' (1929), and 'Prometeo' (1929), placed among classical statues. Curated by Ester Coen and Zelda De Lillo, the exhibition is accompanied by a catalog 'Savinio A-Z' published by Electa. This is Rome's first major Savinio show in over forty years.