Eva Fischer retrospective in Cagliari traces her journey from Holocaust survivor to Roman art scene icon

A retrospective of Yugoslav-born Italian painter Eva Fischer (1920–2015), titled 'Si aspetta la Luna', opened in Cagliari, featuring 140 works, photographs, and personal objects. Fischer, the last witness of the post-war Scuola Romana, survived Nazi persecution and internment at Vallegrande camp, later escaping to Bologna under a false name. After WWII, she settled in Rome, joining the via Margutta artists' circle alongside Mafai, Guttuso, Cagli, and others. Her first solo show was at Galleria La Finestra in 1947. She befriended Ennio Morricone, who dedicated a CD to her in 1992. She exhibited at London's Lefevre Gallery in the 1960s and in Spain at Juana Mordó's atelier. Her collectors included Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, and Henry Fonda. In 1981, she created stained-glass windows for Rome's Jewish Museum. The Fondazione Eva Fischer was established in Kfar Saba, Israel, in 1991. The exhibition highlights her stylistic phases, from depictions of the marginalized and urban landscapes to her hidden Shoah series (1946–1989), which she kept secret until her husband and son saw them. Her later works convey optimism and joy.