Massimo Campigli's Etruscan Women at Galleria Rubin in Milan

A refined selection of graphic works by Massimo Campigli (born Max Ihlenfeld, Berlin 1895 – Saint-Tropez 1971) is on view at Galleria Rubin in Milan, exploring the artist's deep connection to Etruscan civilization. The exhibition focuses on Campigli's lifelong fascination with female figures, inspired by his 1928 visit to the Museo Nazionale Etrusco di Villa Giulia in Rome, where he discovered the prominent role of women in Etruscan society. Campigli, who changed his name in 1914 and claimed Florence as his birthplace, had a complex childhood raised by his grandmother in Settignano while his mother posed as an aunt. Self-taught, he began his artistic career in Milan while working for Corriere della Sera. His encounter with Etruscan art led to a palette of soft, earthy tones reminiscent of tomb frescoes, and a style that geometrizes female forms like amphorae, with truncated faces echoing temple antefixes and votive heads. The exhibition includes lithographs such as a scene at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, walks among Roman monuments, and illustrations of Sappho's poetry. One print depicts an opera theater with an all-female audience, reinforcing Campigli's vision of a woman-only world. The show is located near Via Torino in Milan.