Sebastian Smee's 'Artisti Rivali' explores four pairs of rival artists

Sebastian Smee's acclaimed book, 'Artisti Rivali' (Utet, 2016), which won the Pulitzer Prize, delves into the dynamics between four notable pairs of painters from the 19th and 20th centuries: Manet with Degas, Matisse alongside Picasso, Pollock in relation to de Kooning, and Freud versus Bacon. Through a compilation of letters, diaries, and interviews, Smee reconstructs a century of art history. The Italian edition, translated by Violetta Bellocchio, was unveiled at the Accademia di Brera on February 1, 2017, during a lecture by Professor Raffaella Pulejo. The work underscores the impact of biography, rivalry, and competition on artistic development, particularly emphasizing jealousy and the influence of rivals over critics.