Ardengo Soffici
Encyclopedia
Ardengo Soffici was an Italian writer, painter and Fascist intellectual.
, near Florence
. In 1893 his family moved to the latter city, where he studied at the Accademia from 1897 and later at the Scuola Libera del Nudo.
In 1900 he moved from Florence to Paris
, where he lived for seven years, working for Symbolist
journals. While in Paris he became acquainted with Braque, Derain, Picasso, Gris
and Apollinaire.
On returning to Italy
in 1907, Soffici settled in Poggio a Caiano
in the countryside near Florence (where he lived for the rest of his life) and wrote articles on modern artists for the first issue of the political and cultural magazine La Voce.
In 1910 he organised an exhibition of Impressionist painting in Florence in association with La Voce, devoting an entire room to the sculptor Medardo Rosso
.
In August 1911 he wrote an article in La Voce on Picasso and Braque, which probably influenced the Futurists
in the direction of Cubism
. At this time Soffici considered Cubism to be an extension of the partial revolution of the Impressionists. In 1912-1913 Soffici painted in a Cubist style.
After visiting the Futurists' Exhibition of Free Art in Milan, he wrote a hostile review in La Voce. The leading Futurists Marinetti, Boccioni and Carrà
, were so incensed by this that they immediately boarded a train for Florence and assaulted Soffici and his La Voce colleagues at the Caffè Giubbe Rosse
. Reviewing the Futurists' Paris exhibition of 1912 in his article Ancora del Futurismo (Futurism Again) he dismissed their rhetoric, publicity-seeking and their art, but granted that, despite its faults, Futurism was "a movement of renewal, and that is excellent".
Gino Severini
was despatched from Milan to Florence to make peace with Soffici on behalf of the Futurists – the Peace of Florence, as Boccioni called it. After these diplomatic overtures, Soffici, together with Giovanni Papini
, Aldo Palazzeschi
and Italo Tavolato withdrew from La Voce in 1913 to form a new periodical, Lacerba, which would concentrate entirely on art and culture. Soffici published "Theory of the movement of plastic Futurism" in Lacerba, accepting that Futurism had reconciled what had previously seemed irreconcilable, Impressionism and Cubism. By its fifth issue Lacerba wholly supported the Futurists. Soffici's paintings in 1913 – e.g. Linee di una strada and Sintesi di una pesaggio autumnale – showed the influence of the Futurists in method and title and he exhibited with them.
In 1914, personal quarrels and artistic differences between the Milan Futurists and the Florence group around Soffici, Papini and Carlo Carrà
, created a rift in Italian Futurism. The Florence group resented the dominance of Marinetti and Boccioni, whom they accused of trying to establish "an immobile church with an infallible creed", and each group dismissed the other as passéiste.
After serving in the First World War, Soffici abandoned Futurism and, discovering a new reverence for Tuscan tradition, became associated with the "return to order
" which manifested itself in the naturalistic landscapes which threafter dominated his work. At that time he lived in Poggio a Caiano, painting nature and traditional Tuscan farm scenes. There, in 1926, he discovered the young artist Quinto Martini
when the latter went to visit Soffici's workshop with his work. Looking at Martini's first experiments, Soffici recognised the kind of genuine and intimate traits he was seeking and became his mentor.
Soffici was one of the signatories of Gentile's
1925 Fascist manifesto. He regarded the United States of America as "false", "transitory" and "ephemeral". It was a "non-civilisation" where the spirituality of art was suffocated by the barbaric vulgarity of a people without history and without tradition, and incapable, therefore, of creating a true civilization. To Soffici and other moralists of Italian Fascism, US civilisation represented "impending modernity", that is to say, a violent negation of the Italian genius; it was necessary to wage a holy war against the American monster to save Italian civilization.
He died at the Italian holiday resort of Forte dei Marmi
.
Life
Soffici was born in Rignano sull'ArnoRignano sull'Arno
Rignano sull'Arno is a comune in the Province of Florence in the Italian region Tuscany, located about 20 km southeast of Florence.-Main sights:*Pieve of San Lorenzo a Miransù...
, near Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
. In 1893 his family moved to the latter city, where he studied at the Accademia from 1897 and later at the Scuola Libera del Nudo.
In 1900 he moved from Florence 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...
, where he lived for seven years, working for Symbolist
Symbolism (arts)
Symbolism was a late nineteenth-century art movement of French, Russian and Belgian origin in poetry and other arts. In literature, the style had its beginnings with the publication Les Fleurs du mal by Charles Baudelaire...
journals. While in Paris he became acquainted with Braque, Derain, Picasso, Gris
Juan Gris
José Victoriano González-Pérez , better known as Juan Gris, was a Spanish painter and sculptor who lived and worked in France most of his life...
and Apollinaire.
On returning to Italy
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...
in 1907, Soffici settled in Poggio a Caiano
Poggio a Caiano
Poggio a Caiano is a town and comune in the Province of Prato, Tuscany region Italy. The town lies 9 km south of the provincial capital of Prato.-The Medici villa:...
in the countryside near Florence (where he lived for the rest of his life) and wrote articles on modern artists for the first issue of the political and cultural magazine La Voce.
In 1910 he organised an exhibition of Impressionist painting in Florence in association with La Voce, devoting an entire room to the sculptor Medardo Rosso
Medardo Rosso
Medardo Rosso was an Italian sculptor. He is thought to have developed the Post Impressionism style in sculpture along with Auguste Rodin....
.
In August 1911 he wrote an article in La Voce on Picasso and Braque, which probably influenced the Futurists
Futurism
Futurism was an artistic and social movement that originated in Italy in the early 20th century.Futurism or futurist may refer to:* Afrofuturism, an African-American and African diaspora subculture* Cubo-Futurism* Ego-Futurism...
in the direction of Cubism
Cubism
Cubism was a 20th century avant-garde art movement, pioneered by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque, that revolutionized European painting and sculpture, and inspired related movements in music, literature and architecture...
. At this time Soffici considered Cubism to be an extension of the partial revolution of the Impressionists. In 1912-1913 Soffici painted in a Cubist style.
After visiting the Futurists' Exhibition of Free Art in Milan, he wrote a hostile review in La Voce. The leading Futurists Marinetti, Boccioni and Carrà
Carlo Carrà
Carlo Carrà was an Italian painter, a leading figure of the Futurist movement that flourished in Italy during the beginning of the 20th century. In addition to his many paintings, he wrote a number of books concerning art. He taught for many years in the city of Milan.-Biography:Carrà was born in...
, were so incensed by this that they immediately boarded a train for Florence and assaulted Soffici and his La Voce colleagues at the Caffè Giubbe Rosse
Giubbe Rosse
Caffè Giubbe Rosse is a café in Piazza della Repubblica , Florence. The giubbe rosse of its name are the "Red Shirts" of Garibaldi's forces during the Risorgimento, a badge of honour for liberal Italians, reflected in the silent allusion of the waiters' red jackets.The café has a long-standing...
. Reviewing the Futurists' Paris exhibition of 1912 in his article Ancora del Futurismo (Futurism Again) he dismissed their rhetoric, publicity-seeking and their art, but granted that, despite its faults, Futurism was "a movement of renewal, and that is excellent".
Gino Severini
Gino Severini
Gino Severini , was an Italian painter and a leading member of the Futurist movement. For much of his life he divided his time between Paris and Rome. He was associated with neo-classicism and the "return to order" in the decade after the First World War. During his career he worked in a variety of...
was despatched from Milan to Florence to make peace with Soffici on behalf of the Futurists – the Peace of Florence, as Boccioni called it. After these diplomatic overtures, Soffici, together with Giovanni Papini
Giovanni Papini
Giovanni Papini was an Italian journalist, essayist, literary critic, poet, and novelist.-Early life:...
, Aldo Palazzeschi
Aldo Palazzeschi
Aldo Palazzeschi was the pen name of Aldo Giurlani, an Italian novelist, poet, journalist and essayist.-Biography:...
and Italo Tavolato withdrew from La Voce in 1913 to form a new periodical, Lacerba, which would concentrate entirely on art and culture. Soffici published "Theory of the movement of plastic Futurism" in Lacerba, accepting that Futurism had reconciled what had previously seemed irreconcilable, Impressionism and Cubism. By its fifth issue Lacerba wholly supported the Futurists. Soffici's paintings in 1913 – e.g. Linee di una strada and Sintesi di una pesaggio autumnale – showed the influence of the Futurists in method and title and he exhibited with them.
In 1914, personal quarrels and artistic differences between the Milan Futurists and the Florence group around Soffici, Papini and Carlo Carrà
Carlo Carrà
Carlo Carrà was an Italian painter, a leading figure of the Futurist movement that flourished in Italy during the beginning of the 20th century. In addition to his many paintings, he wrote a number of books concerning art. He taught for many years in the city of Milan.-Biography:Carrà was born in...
, created a rift in Italian Futurism. The Florence group resented the dominance of Marinetti and Boccioni, whom they accused of trying to establish "an immobile church with an infallible creed", and each group dismissed the other as passéiste.
After serving in the First World War, Soffici abandoned Futurism and, discovering a new reverence for Tuscan tradition, became associated with the "return to order
Return to order
The return to order was a European art movement that followed the First World War, rejecting the extreme avant-garde art of the years up to 1918 and taking its inspiration from traditional art instead. The movement was a reaction to the War...
" which manifested itself in the naturalistic landscapes which threafter dominated his work. At that time he lived in Poggio a Caiano, painting nature and traditional Tuscan farm scenes. There, in 1926, he discovered the young artist Quinto Martini
Quinto Martini (artist)
Quinto Martini was an Italian artist and writer, born in Seano, Tuscany. He was a self-taught artist, born in a farming family and raised among the hills behind Leonardo da Vinci's land....
when the latter went to visit Soffici's workshop with his work. Looking at Martini's first experiments, Soffici recognised the kind of genuine and intimate traits he was seeking and became his mentor.
Soffici was one of the signatories of Gentile's
Giovanni Gentile
Giovanni Gentile was an Italian neo-Hegelian Idealist philosopher, a peer of Benedetto Croce. He described himself as 'the philosopher of Fascism', and ghostwrote A Doctrine of Fascism for Benito Mussolini. He also devised his own system of philosophy, Actual Idealism.- Life and thought :Giovanni...
1925 Fascist manifesto. He regarded the United States of America as "false", "transitory" and "ephemeral". It was a "non-civilisation" where the spirituality of art was suffocated by the barbaric vulgarity of a people without history and without tradition, and incapable, therefore, of creating a true civilization. To Soffici and other moralists of Italian Fascism, US civilisation represented "impending modernity", that is to say, a violent negation of the Italian genius; it was necessary to wage a holy war against the American monster to save Italian civilization.
He died at the Italian holiday resort of Forte dei Marmi
Forte dei Marmi
Forte dei Marmi is a sea town and comune in the province of Lucca, in northern Tuscany . It is the birthplace of Paola Ruffo di Calabria, Queen of the Belgians....
.
Poems
- BÏF§ZF+18 = Simultaneità - Chimismi liriciBÏF§ZF+18BÏF§ZF+18 Simultaneità e Chimismi lirici is a poetry book and artist's book published in 1915 by the Italian futurist Ardengo Soffici...
(1915) - Elegia dell'Ambra (1927)
- Marsia e Apollo (1938)
- Thréne pour Guillame Apollinaire (1927)
Novels
- Ignoto toscano (1909)
- Lemmonio Boreo (1912)
- Arlecchino (1914)
- Giornale di bordo (1915)
- Kobilek: giornale di battaglia (1918)
- La giostra dei sensi (1918)
- La ritirata del Friuli (1919)
- Rete mediterranea (1920)
- Battaglia fra due vittorie (1923)
- Ricordi di vita artistica e letteraria (1931)
- Taccuino di Arno Borghi (1933)
- Ritratto delle cose di Francia (1934)
- L'adunata (1936)
- Itinerario inglese (1948)
- Autoritratto d'artista italiano nel quadro del suo tempo
- L'uva e la croce (1951)
- Passi tra le rovine (1952)
- Il salto vitale (1954)
- Fine di un mondo (1955)
- D'ogni erba un fascio (1958)
- Diari 1939-1945 (1962, with G. Prezzoloni)
Essays
- Il caso Rosso e l'impressionismo (1909)
- Arthur Rimbaud (1911)
- Cubismo e oltre (1913)
- Cubismo e futurismo (1914)
- Serra e Croce (1915)
- Cubismo e futurismo (1919)
- Scoperte e massacri (1919)
- Primi principi di un'estetica futurista (1920)
- Giovanni Fattori (1921)
- Armando Spadini (1925)
- Carlo CarràCarlo CarràCarlo Carrà was an Italian painter, a leading figure of the Futurist movement that flourished in Italy during the beginning of the 20th century. In addition to his many paintings, he wrote a number of books concerning art. He taught for many years in the city of Milan.-Biography:Carrà was born in...
(1928) - Periplo dell'arte (1928)
- Medardo Rosso: 1858-1928 (1929)
- Ugo Bernasconi (1934)
- Apollinaire (1937)
- Salti nel tempo (1938)
- Selva: arte (1938)
- Trenta artisti moderni italiani e stranieri (1950)