Antonietta Raphael
Encyclopedia
Antonietta Raphaël was an Italian
sculptor
and painter
of Jewish heritage and Lithuanian birth, who founded the Scuola Romana
(Roman School) movement together with her husband Mario Mafai
. She was an artist characterised by a profound anti-academic conviction, also affirmed by her sculptures which, especially after World War II
, dominated her output. They highlighted the tender and vibrant carnality present in stone, with works such as Miriam dormiente (Sleeping Miriam) and Nemesis.
's daughter, Raphael moved to London
with her mother after her father's death. There she attended the British Museum
, and came to know Jacob Epstein
and Ossip Zadkine
, the renowned French
sculptor of Russian
origin and member of the Expressionist
movement. However, Antonietta in those days concentrated on studying music, graduating in piano at the Royal Academy of Music
and teaching solfeggio in the East End.
At her mother's death in 1919, she moved to Paris
and in 1924 to Rome
. In 1925 Antonietta attended the Accademia di Belle Arti, befriended artist Mario Mafai
and went to live with him, in a longlasting relationship. They had three daughters: Miriam (1926), a journalist, partner of Communist politician Giancarlo Pajetta
; Simona (1928) member of the Italian Senate
and author; and Giulia (1930), a scenographer and costume designer.
in Rome which quickly became a meeting point for literati including Giuseppe Ungaretti
and Leonardo Sinisgalli
, as well as young artists including Scipione
, Renato Marino Mazzacurati
, and Corrado Cagli
. This represented the birth of the Scuola Romana
.
In 1929, Raphael exhibited for the first time at I Sindacale of Lazio, supported by art historian Roberto Longhi. In 1930 she and Mafai went to Paris, and there she began to concentrate on sculpture rather than painting. In 1932 she was in London and met Jacob Epstein
. She then moved permanently to Rome and started working on her masterpiece Fuga da Sodoma (Escape from Sodom), working as a guest of sculptor Ettore Colla in his studio for a year. Between 1936 and 1938 she exhibited at the Sindacali. Her plastic shapes, during this phase, show a lack of influence from any Italian sculpture movement of the period, but there are distinct references to Emile-Antoine Bourdelle. Due to the Fascist
racial laws and their implementation, Raphael escaped to Genoa
together with her husband and daughters. The family was assisted and kept safe by art collector Emilio Jesi and philanthropist Alberto Della Ragione.
During World War II
(from 1943 to 1945) Raphael stayed in Rome with her daughter Giulia, then moved again to work in Genoa
with an influential group of older sculptors, though one that did not have a common style. This included Edoardo Alfieri
, Nanni Servettaz, Raimondi, Camillo Maine,, Lorenzo Garaventa, Sandro Cherchi, Agenore Fabbri, Roberto Bertagnin (brother-in-law of Arturo Martini
) and Luigi Navone.
In 1948, Raphael exhibited at the Biennale di Venezia, after a difficult period of financial restrictions. As from 1952 art critics began fully appreciating Raphael's work and selected pieces were exhibited at the Galleria dello Zodiaco in Rome. In 1956 she travelled to China, where she exhibited in Beijing
her artwork together with Aligi Sassu
and others - continuing other exhibitions throughout Europe, Asia, and the Americas. At the 8th Rome Quadriennale
of 1959-1960, dedicated to the Scuola Romana
, many of her works were presented to the public, placing her among the greater exponents of this School. By this stage, Raphael was working almost exclusively on sculpture, leaving aside painting.
. During the Via Cavour years, she produced portraits and landscapes characterised by a formal simplification, with compositive deformations in between the Naïve
and the Chagallian oniric fantasy. From 1932, her sculptures achieved vigorous naturalistic tones with symbolic and monumental emphases, recalling eastern art cultures.
Archivio Contemporaneo "Alessandro Bonsanti" - The Mario Mafai-Antonietta Raphaël Fund Her Life
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
sculptor
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
and painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
of Jewish heritage and Lithuanian birth, who founded the Scuola Romana
Scuola Romana
Scuola romana or Scuola di via Cavour was a 20th century art movement defined by a group of painters within Expressionism and active in Rome between 1928 and 1945, and with a second phase in the mid-1950s.-Birth of the Movement:...
(Roman School) movement together with her husband Mario Mafai
Mario Mafai
Mario Mafai , was an Italian painter, founder with his wife Antonietta Raphaël of the modern art movement called Scuola Romana.- Biography :...
. She was an artist characterised by a profound anti-academic conviction, also affirmed by her sculptures which, especially after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, dominated her output. They highlighted the tender and vibrant carnality present in stone, with works such as Miriam dormiente (Sleeping Miriam) and Nemesis.
Biography
A rabbiRabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
's daughter, Raphael moved to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
with her mother after her father's death. There she attended the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
, and came to know Jacob Epstein
Jacob Epstein
Sir Jacob Epstein KBE was an American-born British sculptor who helped pioneer modern sculpture. He was born in the United States, and moved to Europe in 1902, becoming a British citizen in 1911. He often produced controversial works which challenged taboos on what was appropriate subject matter...
and Ossip Zadkine
Ossip Zadkine
Ossip Zadkine was a Belarusian-born artist who lived in France. He is primarily known as a sculptor, but also produced paintings and lithographs.-Early years and career:...
, the renowned French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
sculptor of Russian
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
origin and member of the Expressionist
Expressionism
Expressionism was a modernist movement, initially in poetry and painting, originating in Germany at the beginning of the 20th century. Its typical trait is to present the world solely from a subjective perspective, distorting it radically for emotional effect in order to evoke moods or ideas...
movement. However, Antonietta in those days concentrated on studying music, graduating in piano at the Royal Academy of Music
Royal Academy of Music
The Royal Academy of Music in London, England, is a conservatoire, Britain's oldest degree-granting music school and a constituent college of the University of London since 1999. The Academy was founded by Lord Burghersh in 1822 with the help and ideas of the French harpist and composer Nicolas...
and teaching solfeggio in the East End.
At her mother's death in 1919, she moved to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and in 1924 to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. In 1925 Antonietta attended the Accademia di Belle Arti, befriended artist Mario Mafai
Mario Mafai
Mario Mafai , was an Italian painter, founder with his wife Antonietta Raphaël of the modern art movement called Scuola Romana.- Biography :...
and went to live with him, in a longlasting relationship. They had three daughters: Miriam (1926), a journalist, partner of Communist politician Giancarlo Pajetta
Giancarlo Pajetta
Giancarlo Pajetta was an Italian communist politician.Pajetta was born in Turin and become a member of the Italian Communist Party during his youth. In 1927 this caused him a condemn to two years of imprisonment...
; Simona (1928) member of the Italian Senate
Italian Senate
The Senate of the Republic is the upper house of the Italian Parliament. It was established in its current form on 8 May 1948, but previously existed during the Kingdom of Italy as Senato del Regno , itself a continuation of the Senato Subalpino of Sardinia-Piedmont established on 8 May 1848...
and author; and Giulia (1930), a scenographer and costume designer.
Career
In 1927, Raphael and Mafia moved to an apartment in via CavourVia Cavour
Via Cavour may refer to:*Via Cavour, Florence*Via Cavour, Palermo*Via Cavour, Rome*Via Cavour, Torino...
in Rome which quickly became a meeting point for literati including Giuseppe Ungaretti
Giuseppe Ungaretti
Giuseppe Ungaretti was an Italian modernist poet, journalist, essayist, critic and academic. A leading representative of the experimental trend known as Ermetismo , he was one of the most prominent contributors to 20th century Italian literature. Influenced by symbolism, he was briefly aligned...
and Leonardo Sinisgalli
Leonardo Sinisgalli
Leonardo Sinisgalli was an Italian poet and art critic active from the 1930s to the 1970s.Sinisgalli was born in Montemurro, Basilicata. His early education and careers led to him being called the "engineer poet"....
, as well as young artists including Scipione
Scipione (Gino Bonichi)
Gino Bonichi , known as Scipione, was an Italian painter and writer.He was born in Macerata. In 1909 he moved to Rome, where he later enrolled at the Scuola Libera di Nudo of the Accademia di Belle Arti di Roma...
, Renato Marino Mazzacurati
Renato Marino Mazzacurati
Renato Marino Mazzacurati , was an Italian painter belonging to the modern movement of the Scuola romana , of eclectic styles and able within his career span to represent the artistic currents of Cubism, Expressionism, and Realism, thus showing a distinctive open mind towards Art and its multiple...
, and Corrado Cagli
Corrado Cagli
Corrado Cagli was an Italian painter of Jewish heritage, who lived in the USA during World War II.Cagli was born in Ancona, but in 1915 moved with his family to Rome....
. This represented the birth of the Scuola Romana
Scuola Romana
Scuola romana or Scuola di via Cavour was a 20th century art movement defined by a group of painters within Expressionism and active in Rome between 1928 and 1945, and with a second phase in the mid-1950s.-Birth of the Movement:...
.
In 1929, Raphael exhibited for the first time at I Sindacale of Lazio, supported by art historian Roberto Longhi. In 1930 she and Mafai went to Paris, and there she began to concentrate on sculpture rather than painting. In 1932 she was in London and met Jacob Epstein
Jacob Epstein
Sir Jacob Epstein KBE was an American-born British sculptor who helped pioneer modern sculpture. He was born in the United States, and moved to Europe in 1902, becoming a British citizen in 1911. He often produced controversial works which challenged taboos on what was appropriate subject matter...
. She then moved permanently to Rome and started working on her masterpiece Fuga da Sodoma (Escape from Sodom), working as a guest of sculptor Ettore Colla in his studio for a year. Between 1936 and 1938 she exhibited at the Sindacali. Her plastic shapes, during this phase, show a lack of influence from any Italian sculpture movement of the period, but there are distinct references to Emile-Antoine Bourdelle. Due to the Fascist
Italian Fascism
Italian Fascism also known as Fascism with a capital "F" refers to the original fascist ideology in Italy. This ideology is associated with the National Fascist Party which under Benito Mussolini ruled the Kingdom of Italy from 1922 until 1943, the Republican Fascist Party which ruled the Italian...
racial laws and their implementation, Raphael escaped to Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
together with her husband and daughters. The family was assisted and kept safe by art collector Emilio Jesi and philanthropist Alberto Della Ragione.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
(from 1943 to 1945) Raphael stayed in Rome with her daughter Giulia, then moved again to work in Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
with an influential group of older sculptors, though one that did not have a common style. This included Edoardo Alfieri
Edoardo Alfieri
Edoardo Alfieri was an Italian sculptor.Although he was born at Foggia in southern Italy, his family was of Piemontese origin and soon moved to Genoa, where he spent his childhood...
, Nanni Servettaz, Raimondi, Camillo Maine,, Lorenzo Garaventa, Sandro Cherchi, Agenore Fabbri, Roberto Bertagnin (brother-in-law of Arturo Martini
Arturo Martini
Arturo Martini was a leading Italian sculptor between World War I and II. He moved between a very vigorous classicism and modernism. He was associated with public sculpture in fascist Italy, but later renounced his medium altogether.-Futurism:Martini seems to have been an active supporter of the...
) and Luigi Navone.
In 1948, Raphael exhibited at the Biennale di Venezia, after a difficult period of financial restrictions. As from 1952 art critics began fully appreciating Raphael's work and selected pieces were exhibited at the Galleria dello Zodiaco in Rome. In 1956 she travelled to China, where she exhibited in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
her artwork together with Aligi Sassu
Aligi Sassu
Aligi Sassu was an Italian painter and sculptor.-Biography:Aligi Sassu was born in Milan, Lombardy, into a Sardinian-origin family. His father Antonio was one of the founders of the Italian Socialist Party at Sassari in 1894, and had moved to Milan in 1896, where he had married Lina Pedretti in...
and others - continuing other exhibitions throughout Europe, Asia, and the Americas. At the 8th Rome Quadriennale
Rome Quadriennale
The Rome Quadriennale is a foundation for the promotion of contemporary Italian art....
of 1959-1960, dedicated to the Scuola Romana
Scuola Romana
Scuola romana or Scuola di via Cavour was a 20th century art movement defined by a group of painters within Expressionism and active in Rome between 1928 and 1945, and with a second phase in the mid-1950s.-Birth of the Movement:...
, many of her works were presented to the public, placing her among the greater exponents of this School. By this stage, Raphael was working almost exclusively on sculpture, leaving aside painting.
Critical appraisal
Due to her free and open personality, and her diverse cultural experiences, Antonietta Raphael introduced within the Roman circle a note of unconventional internationalismInternationalism (politics)
Internationalism is a political movement which advocates a greater economic and political cooperation among nations for the theoretical benefit of all...
. During the Via Cavour years, she produced portraits and landscapes characterised by a formal simplification, with compositive deformations in between the Naïve
Naïve art
Naïve art is a classification of art that is often characterized by a childlike simplicity in its subject matter and technique. While many naïve artists appear, from their works, to have little or no formal art training, this is often not true...
and the Chagallian oniric fantasy. From 1932, her sculptures achieved vigorous naturalistic tones with symbolic and monumental emphases, recalling eastern art cultures.
Filmography
- Io non sono un altro - l'arte di Mario Mafai (I Am Not the Other - The Art of Mario Mafai), DVD, Studio Angeletti & Scuola RomanaScuola RomanaScuola romana or Scuola di via Cavour was a 20th century art movement defined by a group of painters within Expressionism and active in Rome between 1928 and 1945, and with a second phase in the mid-1950s.-Birth of the Movement:...
Archive, 2005, directed by Giorgio Cappozzo
External links
Antonietta Raphaël on Scuolaromana.it Archive fo the Scuola Romana at Villa TorloniaVilla Torlonia
Villa Torlonia is the name applied to several country retreats of the Torlonia princely family in the outskirts of the city of Rome, in Frascati, Lazio, including:*Villa Torlonia *Villa Torlonia, San Mauro Pascoli*in Rome:...
Archivio Contemporaneo "Alessandro Bonsanti" - The Mario Mafai-Antonietta Raphaël Fund Her Life