Dante Ferretti's Sketches as Art: Rome Exhibition

The exhibition 'Dante Ferretti. Con i miei occhi' at the Museo di San Salvatore in Lauro in Rome, curated by Raffaele Curi, runs until July 19, 2026. It presents Ferretti's preparatory sketches as autonomous artworks, not mere tools. Born in Macerata in 1943, Ferretti has shaped six decades of cinema using mixed media like chalk, charcoal, and collage, working with directors from Pasolini to Scorsese, Fellini to Tim Burton. His method involves reading the script, isolating himself, drawing, and presenting finished sketches to the director. With Scorsese, communication was minimal. The show traces Ferretti's visual genealogy through painting, citing influences from Piero della Francesca to Bosch. Key works include the Shutter Island lighthouse dedicated to Fellini, the Beaufort Ballroom from 'The Age of Innocence' (1993), and the whale interior from 'The Adventures of Baron Munchausen'. Ferretti recounts designing the location of Pasolini's murder for a crime reconstruction. He also worked in theater, directing Bizet's 'Carmen' in Macerata (2008) and Massenet's 'Werther'. He has never made a cloud, an idea he still pursues. Ferretti claims no heirs, noting Italian cinema no longer produces such work. He has nearly 1,000 sketches, three Oscars, and 175 awards.