DOI Heft:
No. 160 (July, 1906)
DOI Artikel:Melani, Alfredo: Italian art at the Milan exhibition
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.20715#0169
Italian Art at the Milan Exhibition
acquainted, the organisers in Milan nevertheless
desired to avoid an exactly similar route. Accord-
ingly it was decided to admit, in addition to Italian
artists living abroad, foreigners living in Italy;
these latter, however, were restricted to exhibiting
original works which had never before been dis-
played in the peninsula. As to architecture, which
had its separate regulations, it was resolved to
admit architects or students who had worked in the
light of our national monuments; thus it came
about that we have a display of those studies
by Mr. Goodyear in the architecture of Italy in
the middle ages, which last year won so much
admiration at the Edinburgh Architectural Associa-
tion meeting.
The architectural spirit prevailing in Italy looks
very coldly on modernism. It is sdll wrapped up
in the inspiration of bygone days, and many of our
architects cannot think of a modern building with-
out casting their eyes back to our glorious Past.
Yes, the Past was glorious ; but has not the Present
a right to have its own particular forms ? The
architects of Italy take their stand among the re-
actionaries, and so are quite outstripped by our
sculptors and our painters. The student of archi-
tecture at Milan will find little enjoyment, save
in the work of M. E. Basile of Palermo, M. E.
Pirovano, M. R. d’Aronco, and a few others. The
great national monument to Victor Emmanuel,
which occupies the place of honour, is an aca-
demic conception, unworthy of swallowing up all
the millions of lire devoted to it. More than twenty
millions ! And the enthusiasm which greeted this
monument proclaims the abject state of our
architecture to-day. Of course it was simply official
enthusiasm. The young architects, the true
artists, had nothing to say in the matter.
As is the case everywhere, the sculpture at Milan
is numerically far less than the painting, which,
however, takes up far less space in our Exhibition.
In the first place, it should be remarked that,
despite the exceptional competition, both sculp-
tures and paintings are well placed in lhe galleries,
and that the lighting is good. So the artists are
satisfied, and there have been none of the agita-
tions which follow the opening of almost every
exhibition. Even the rejected have remained
silent, with one exception, and in this case it would
ROOM OF THE “GIOVANE ETRURIA” AT THE MILAN EXHIBITION
148
ARRANGED BY G. CHIN I
acquainted, the organisers in Milan nevertheless
desired to avoid an exactly similar route. Accord-
ingly it was decided to admit, in addition to Italian
artists living abroad, foreigners living in Italy;
these latter, however, were restricted to exhibiting
original works which had never before been dis-
played in the peninsula. As to architecture, which
had its separate regulations, it was resolved to
admit architects or students who had worked in the
light of our national monuments; thus it came
about that we have a display of those studies
by Mr. Goodyear in the architecture of Italy in
the middle ages, which last year won so much
admiration at the Edinburgh Architectural Associa-
tion meeting.
The architectural spirit prevailing in Italy looks
very coldly on modernism. It is sdll wrapped up
in the inspiration of bygone days, and many of our
architects cannot think of a modern building with-
out casting their eyes back to our glorious Past.
Yes, the Past was glorious ; but has not the Present
a right to have its own particular forms ? The
architects of Italy take their stand among the re-
actionaries, and so are quite outstripped by our
sculptors and our painters. The student of archi-
tecture at Milan will find little enjoyment, save
in the work of M. E. Basile of Palermo, M. E.
Pirovano, M. R. d’Aronco, and a few others. The
great national monument to Victor Emmanuel,
which occupies the place of honour, is an aca-
demic conception, unworthy of swallowing up all
the millions of lire devoted to it. More than twenty
millions ! And the enthusiasm which greeted this
monument proclaims the abject state of our
architecture to-day. Of course it was simply official
enthusiasm. The young architects, the true
artists, had nothing to say in the matter.
As is the case everywhere, the sculpture at Milan
is numerically far less than the painting, which,
however, takes up far less space in our Exhibition.
In the first place, it should be remarked that,
despite the exceptional competition, both sculp-
tures and paintings are well placed in lhe galleries,
and that the lighting is good. So the artists are
satisfied, and there have been none of the agita-
tions which follow the opening of almost every
exhibition. Even the rejected have remained
silent, with one exception, and in this case it would
ROOM OF THE “GIOVANE ETRURIA” AT THE MILAN EXHIBITION
148
ARRANGED BY G. CHIN I