Museo Novecento in Florence Examines Art Against Fascism

The Museo Novecento in Florence presents 'Retroscena,' an exhibition curated by Sergio Risaliti, Eva Francioli, and Chiara Toti that explores the relationship between art and political power, with a focus on antifascist resistance. The show draws from the Alberto Della Ragione Collection, donated to the city in 1970 and housed at the museum since 2013, spanning works from 1920 to 1945. The exhibition opens with Renato Guttuso's 'Ritratto di Alberto Della Ragione,' highlighting the telaio that celebrates the fall of the fascist regime on July 25, 1943. Other featured artists include Antonietta Raphael, Mario Mafai, Mirko Basaldella, and Mazzacurati, who participated in the 1944 exhibition 'Arte contro la barbarie' in Rome. Guttuso's 'Il massacro' and 'Natura morta con giornale' are on view, alongside works by Carlo Levi, who after confinement in Basilicata and exile in France, arrived in Florence in 1941 and became active in the Resistance. The exhibition also includes pieces by Ennio Morlotti, Bruno Cassinari, Scipione, and Emilio Vedova, whose works reflect silent, intimate dissent. The show is part of the museum's broader programming on art and power.