Georges Braque Beyond Cubism: Exhibition at Palazzo della Ragione, Mantua

A new exhibition at Palazzo della Ragione in Mantua explores Georges Braque's work beyond his Cubist period, focusing on his collaborations with writers and poets. Curated by Niccolò Lucarelli, the show traces Braque's artistic journey from his early Fauvist influences to his later illustrations for works by Apollinaire, Paulhan, Ponge, and Greek classics. It highlights his invention of papier collé in 1912, which marked a return to nature and a concrete relationship with reality. The exhibition also features a reconstruction by artist Flavio Favelli of Braque's lost 1914 paper sculpture, based on a period photograph, symbolizing the transition from synthetic to analytical Cubism. Braque's work is presented as a 'mystical primitivism' that seeks harmony and levity, engaging with surrealism and creative anarchy. The show runs from June 2019 at Palazzo della Ragione, Mantua.