Forgotten Artist Valeria Alberti Rediscovered by Scholar Manuel Barrese
Valeria Alberti (1930-2011), an Italian artist, enjoyed a short but significant career that ultimately faded from the annals of art history. Recent findings by Manuel Barrese underscore her unique position as the sole female among the artists and intellectuals associated with poet Emilio Villa and Galleria Appia Antica. Raised in a wealthy family on Aventine Hill, she mingled with notable figures such as Giuseppe Ungaretti. In the mid-1960s, she encountered director John Huston during the filming of "The Bible" (1966). Alberti's work was showcased in 1957 alongside Alberto Sartoris, and she collaborated with ceramist Mario Molli on ocean liner panels. In 1960, she participated in a group exhibition at Galleria Azimuth, earning a Certificate of Authenticity from Piero Manzoni. Despite creating geometric metal sculptures in the 1960s, she was soon overshadowed in a male-centric art scene.
Key facts
- Valeria Alberti (1930-2011) was an Italian artist rediscovered by scholar Manuel Barrese.
- She was the only woman in the circle around poet Emilio Villa and Galleria Appia Antica.
- Her father was a distant descendant of Leon Battista Alberti; her mother's family were printers for the Vatican.
- She grew up on the Aventine Hill, hosting artists like Giuseppe Ungaretti, Giuseppe Capogrossi, Corrado Cagli, and Giulio Turcato.
- In the mid-1960s, she met John Huston in Rome and contributed visual references for his film 'The Bible' (1966).
- She exhibited in 1957 at Galleria San Marco with Alberto Sartoris, introduced by Emilio Villa.
- She created painted panels for the ocean liner Leonardo Da Vinci and the turboship Michelangelo (1966).
- Her panels for the Michelangelo are now at the Galleria Nazionale di Arte Moderna e Contemporanea in Rome.
- In 1957, she exhibited lace and embroidery at Galleria Ferro di Cavallo with Ettore Sordini.
- In 1960, she participated in a group show at Galleria Azimuth in Milan.
- Piero Manzoni gave her Certificate of Authenticity No. 26 on April 24, 1961, for her show with Enrico Castellani at La Tartaruga.
- Manzoni also certified Emilio Villa, Franco Angeli, and Mario Schifano as living sculptures.
- In the 1960s, she made geometric metal sculptures, cutting them herself.
Entities
Artists
- Valeria Alberti
- Manuel Barrese
- Emilio Villa
- Leon Battista Alberti
- Rafael Alberti
- Giuseppe Ungaretti
- Giuseppe Capogrossi
- Corrado Cagli
- Giulio Turcato
- John Huston
- Gustave Doré
- Alberto Sartoris
- Mario Molli
- Vincenzo Monaco
- Amedeo Luccichenti
- Ettore Sordini
- Piero Manzoni
- Enrico Castellani
- Franco Angeli
- Mario Schifano
- Alberto Sordi
- Vana Caruso
- Ludovico Pratesi
Institutions
- Galleria Appia Antica
- Galleria San Marco
- Galleria Ferro di Cavallo
- Galleria Azimuth
- La Tartaruga
- Galleria Nazionale di Arte Moderna e Contemporanea
- Artribune
Locations
- Rome
- Italy
- Aventine Hill
- Milan
- Albissola
- Taormina
- Africa