Biography
Baldessari in Romagna
In the spring of 1916 Baldessari left Florence for the first of his stays in Lugo di Romagna, where the artist was guest of the friend Nino Pasi, a Lughese Futurist he had met the year before in Florence.
In the spring of 1916 Baldessari left Florence for the first of his stays in Lugo di Romagna, where the artist was guest of the friend Nino Pasi, a Lughese Futurist he had met the year before in Florence.
In truth, Baldessari had come to Lugo to visit his former professor, Ciardi, evicted from Venice due to the war, who was there as guest by his relatives. Then in Lugo Baldessari discovered there was a certain futurist cenacle, precisely with Pasi, but that revolved around F. Balilla Pratella, a musician and futurist of the first hour, who often invited various futurists like F.T. Marinetti, Carrà, Prampolini, Soffici, Funi, Conti, but also other important figures of culture, such as the master Mascagni, D’Annunzio, Morandi, Trombadori, etc. In short, a stimulating atmosphere for anyone, let alone the young Baldessari, who, however, was more impressed by the attractiveness of the teacher of the local elementary school, a certain Dafne Gambetti, two years younger than him but, unfortunately, already sentimentally linked to the friend Pasi. All what remained to do was to immortalize her in a group of works, whose the number has gradually grown over the years, just to confirm how impressed he was by her beauty. Among these, Donna + finestra (Woman + window) and Testa + Luci ( Head + Lights), and it must be said immediately that Baldessari portrayed her, let’s say so, only as a futurist painter could see her, with dynamic cuts and multiple perspectives, which does not always coincide with the idea of beauty as intended by a non-futurist.
Also all too evident is the relationship between the stay in Lugo with some other works, this time on the theme of landscape, such as the engraving Primavera in Romagna (Spring in Romagna), later taken up in the large painting Primavera (Spring) of the Mart, and then some various paintings on the theme of Riflessi su paese (Reflections on village) and Paese in Romagna (Village in Romagna). Also worth mentioning is a gouache and collage titled Caffè in Romagna (Coffeeshop in Romagna), and finally the large pastel Treno alla Stazione di Lugo (Train at the Railways Station in Lugo), with a beautiful scene of mechanical dynamism and crowds.
In truth, Baldessari had come to Lugo to visit his former professor, Ciardi, evicted from Venice due to the war, who was there as guest by his relatives. Then in Lugo Baldessari discovered there was a certain futurist cenacle, precisely with Pasi, but that revolved around F. Balilla Pratella, a musician and futurist of the first hour, who often invited various futurists like F.T. Marinetti, Carrà, Prampolini, Soffici, Funi, Conti, but also other important figures of culture, such as the master Mascagni, D’Annunzio, Morandi, Trombadori, etc. In short, a stimulating atmosphere for anyone, let alone the young Baldessari, who, however, was more impressed by the attractiveness of the teacher of the local elementary school, a certain Dafne Gambetti, two years younger than him but, unfortunately, already sentimentally linked to the friend Pasi. All what remained to do was to immortalize her in a group of works, whose the number has gradually grown over the years, just to confirm how impressed he was by her beauty. Among these, Donna + finestra (Woman + window) and Testa + Luci ( Head + Lights), and it must be said immediately that Baldessari portrayed her, let’s say so, only as a futurist painter could see her, with dynamic cuts and multiple perspectives, which does not always coincide with the idea of beauty as intended by a non-futurist.
Also all too evident is the relationship between the stay in Lugo with some other works, this time on the theme of landscape, such as the engraving Primavera in Romagna (Spring in Romagna), later taken up in the large painting Primavera (Spring) of the Mart, and then some various paintings on the theme of Riflessi su paese (Reflections on village) and Paese in Romagna (Village in Romagna). Also worth mentioning is a gouache and collage titled Caffè in Romagna (Coffeeshop in Romagna), and finally the large pastel Treno alla Stazione di Lugo (Train at the Railways Station in Lugo), with a beautiful scene of mechanical dynamism and crowds.
I think we can well say that painting portraits, landscapes and environmental issues, with the only works of Baldessari referable to the various stays in Lugo, and then to the memory of vision of that experience, we could already set up a whole personal exhibition of considerable visual impact and color.
In Lugo, moreover, Baldessari participated in his first collective exhibition with futurist works, the Interregional Art Exhibition, in November 1917, then transferred to Forlì, where he exhibited four paintings and a group of drawings.
I think we can well say that painting portraits, landscapes and environmental issues, with the only works of Baldessari referable to the various stays in Lugo, and then to the memory of vision of that experience, we could already set up a whole personal exhibition of considerable visual impact and color.
In Lugo, moreover, Baldessari participated in his first collective exhibition with futurist works, the Interregional Art Exhibition, in November 1917, then transferred to Forlì, where he exhibited four paintings and a group of drawings.
