Prev / Next

Photographs: ITALIAN ICONS

Wednesday 18 June 2025, 04:00 PM • Milan

21

Giuseppe Cavalli

(1904 - 1961)

Untitled (Still life), 1940s/1950s

Artist's Resale Right

Estimate

€ 4.000 - 5.000

Un utente ha offerto

Your offer is the highest

Information

Vintage gelatin silver print
cm 12,2 x 17 | 4.8 x 6.7 in.
Photographer's credit stamp on the verso
Giuseppe Cavalli (Lucera, Foggia 1904 – Senigallia, Ancona 1961) was born into a family of landowners and, although he graduated in law, he preferred to devote himself to the world of art following in the footsteps of his twin brother Emanuele, an successful painter. A very cultured man, he developed in practice as well as in theory a type of photography that was as far away from pictorialism as from the hated fascist emphasis. In 1947, he founded the photographic group La Bussola in Milan, for which he drew up the manifesto that referred to Croce's aesthetics, and in 1954, in Senigallia, where he had moved, the Gruppo Misa.

The important axiom is that in art the subject is of no importance, what counts is that the work has reached the sky of art: whether it is beautiful or not’ wrote Cavalli in the Manifesto of the Compass, and these words can guide us in reading these two images that are symptomatic of his choices. In the still life, the lightness of the feather prevails, juxtaposed with the physicality of the glass vase, elements united by the fact that they draw two delicate shadows in the background. In the landscape, on the other hand, it is the horizontal lines that occupy the space and draw a deliberate harmony. In both cases, the idea of the predominance of form over subject, of signifier over signified, is confirmed. We are also in front of two superb examples of how to make high key prints, that is, making light tones prevail in all their nuances. 

Condition report

To request a Condition Report, please contact fotografia@finarte.it The department will provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Please note that what Finarte declares with respect to the state of conservation of the objects corresponds only to a qualified opinion and that we are not professional conservators or restorers. We urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. We always suggest prospective buyers to inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition during the exhibition days as indicated in the catalog.

Suggested lots

Caricamento lotti suggeriti...