Many aspects of the Italian artistic culture of the 1930s and 1940s, the years of Francesco Somaini’s formation, are reflected in his early works dedicated to sacred and religious themes. The text investigates a few of the direct and indirect influences that were decisive for the definition of his early works, especially those on sacred themes. Somaini’s sculpture is figurative, expressing an elementary and universal style, influenced by the example of sculptors such as Arturo Martini or Marino Marini. He was also influenced by the context in which he lived and in particular by the primordialist thought of Franco Ciliberti, a philosopher from Como, where Somaini frequented in the 1940s. Ciliberti was the founder of the magazine Valori Primordiali in 1938 and of the Sant’Elia Futurist Primordialist Group in 1941, which brought together figurative and abstract artists as well as rationalist architects united by a desire to search for the original. The comparison between Ciliberti’s texts and Somaini’s youthful writings, in particular those published in the magazine Sentimento, which was linked to the Como-based Cerchio group, allows theoretical aspects of his thought to emerge that are useful for understanding the complexity of his spirituality, expressed both in his youthful works and in those of his maturity.

Di Raddo, E., "Towards a man conceived as a complete and unitary spiritual entity": The primordial and spiritual matrices of Francesco Somaini's sculpture, <<ARTE CRISTIANA>>, 2024; 112 (942): 174-181 [https://hdl.handle.net/10807/306336]

"Towards a man conceived as a complete and unitary spiritual entity": The primordial and spiritual matrices of Francesco Somaini's sculpture

Di Raddo, Elena
2024

Abstract

Many aspects of the Italian artistic culture of the 1930s and 1940s, the years of Francesco Somaini’s formation, are reflected in his early works dedicated to sacred and religious themes. The text investigates a few of the direct and indirect influences that were decisive for the definition of his early works, especially those on sacred themes. Somaini’s sculpture is figurative, expressing an elementary and universal style, influenced by the example of sculptors such as Arturo Martini or Marino Marini. He was also influenced by the context in which he lived and in particular by the primordialist thought of Franco Ciliberti, a philosopher from Como, where Somaini frequented in the 1940s. Ciliberti was the founder of the magazine Valori Primordiali in 1938 and of the Sant’Elia Futurist Primordialist Group in 1941, which brought together figurative and abstract artists as well as rationalist architects united by a desire to search for the original. The comparison between Ciliberti’s texts and Somaini’s youthful writings, in particular those published in the magazine Sentimento, which was linked to the Como-based Cerchio group, allows theoretical aspects of his thought to emerge that are useful for understanding the complexity of his spirituality, expressed both in his youthful works and in those of his maturity.
2024
Italiano
Di Raddo, E., "Towards a man conceived as a complete and unitary spiritual entity": The primordial and spiritual matrices of Francesco Somaini's sculpture, <<ARTE CRISTIANA>>, 2024; 112 (942): 174-181 [https://hdl.handle.net/10807/306336]
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/10807/306336
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