Un’eterna bellezza: Novecento and the Return to Order at MART Rovereto

The MART in Rovereto presents 'Un’eterna bellezza', an exhibition of around 100 works exploring the Novecento movement and the broader 'return to order' in Italian art after World War I. Curated under the direction of Gianfranco Maraniello, the show draws from the museum's own collections, reinforcing the institution's identity. It also renews a partnership with Fundación MAPFRE in Madrid, where the exhibition debuted. The display begins with Metaphysical art by de Chirico, Carrà, and Savinio, but centers on Novecento, a movement launched in Milan in 1922 by Margherita Sarfatti, with artists Bucci, Dudreville, Funi, Malerba, Marussig, Oppi, and Sironi. These artists sought classical ideals inspired by Giotto, Masaccio, and Piero della Francesca, emphasizing technical skill and harmony while rejecting avant-garde experimentation. The exhibition is organized into thematic sections: evocations of antiquity through archaeological fragments and symbols; landscapes that include Sironi's urban visions; still lifes; portraits by Donghi and others; female nudes ranging from platonic to provocative (e.g., Cagnaccio di San Pietro's 'Primo denaro'); and a section on the seasons of life, featuring Felice Casorati's 'Cesare Lionello'. Throughout, the works betray the pain of the recent war and hidden anxieties beneath a veneer of eternal beauty.