Leo Castelli
Have you ever wondered who is behind the planetary success of artists such as Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein or Jasper Johns? The answer is a name that has become a legend in the contemporary art world: Leo Castelli.
If today Pop Art, Minimalism and Conceptualism are recognised globally, it is largely thanks to him. Castelli was a gallery owner but also a true visionary, who turned art into a global phenomenon.
What does it take to make a lasting mark in the art world? Vision, courage and, above all, a love of the unpredictable. Here, Ileana Sonnabend had all this.
Whenever I think of her, I imagine a woman with a keen eye, capable of seeing what others missed. She was not just a collector or an art dealer: she was a true pioneer, someone who believed in artists before the world was even aware of them.
Grotte di Altamira
Palaeolithic art, the first chapter of human creativity: from cave paintings to engravings, a journey into the essence of art and primitive life.
When we think of art, we imagine famous paintings like the Lady with an Ermine or monumental sculptures like the Nike of Samothrace. However, the first traces of human creativity date back thousands of years and are engraved on cave walls or modelled in stone. Palaeolithic art is not just an expression of human creativity, but a powerful narrative of the life, emotions and mystery that surrounded our ancestors.
In this post I want to explore the wonders of an era that, with just a few lines and symbols, laid the foundations of our visual and cultural language. Get ready for a journey through time to discover how it all began!
Francesco Sforza, Lorenzo de’ Medici, Ludovico III Gonzaga
Between the mid 15th century and the early 16th century, Italy witnessed the blossoming of a unique relationship between lords and artists that would profoundly mark the Renaissance. In this period of intense creativity and innovation, patrons were not mere patrons, but real cultural promoters who shaped cities as stages for their artistic and political ambitions. Artists resided in noble palaces, immersed in a stimulating intellectual environment, collaborating with humanists, philosophers, poets and scientists. This symbiosis gave rise to timeless masterpieces and monumental architectural works celebrating the greatness of their patrons.
In this post, I take you on a discovery of the lords of the Italian Renaissance courts.
Botticelli, autoritratto nell’Adorazione dei Magi
Imagine you are standing in front of a work of art, your gaze crosses that of the character being portrayed and in an instant the distance between you and the work vanishes. This powerful link between viewer and represented subject is an illusion masterfully orchestrated by artists over the centuries.
From Renaissance works to contemporary masterpieces, we discover how looking beyond the image transforms our perception of art, breaking down the barrier between fiction and reality and creating an emotional bridge that brings us closer to the story depicted.
