Nationalism and Regionalism in the Art of Ardengo Soffici 1907-1938 HELEN MARAH DUDLEY A thesis submitted to the Department of Art History in conformity with the requirernents for the degree of Master of Arts Queen's University Kingston, Ontario, Canada September, 1998 copyright O Helen Marah Dudley, 1998 National Library Bibliothèque nationale du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliographie Services services bibiiographiques 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Oîtawa ON K1A ON4 OttawaON K1AW CaMda canada The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive Licence allowing the exclusive permettant à la National Library of Canada to Biblotheque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distribute or sell reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou copies of this thesis in microform, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous paper or electronic formats. la forme de microfiche/film, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format électronique. The author retains ownership of the L'auteur conserve la propriété du copwght in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protège cette thèse. thesis nor substantial extracts fiom it Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or otherwise de celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. ABSTRACT This thesis will examine the pre and post World War One cultural politics and anistic output of the Florentine artist, art critic, and author Ardengo Soffici ( 1879-1 96.0. Soffici is perhaps best known for his cubist inspired art and contact with the avant-garde circle of Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque. Indeed, in the pre-war period Soffici was a pivotal figure in both Parisian and Florentine avant-garde circles, spending seven years in Paris and contributing substantially to the Florentine joumals Leonardo(l903-l907), Lu Voce( 1908- 19 16), and Lucerbu ( 19 13- 15). In the pst-war era he became a devoted follower of Mussolini and a preeminent aesthetic theorkt for the fascist regime. In both cases Sofici's cultural politics are well documente4 providing a cohesive body of literature relating to his selfdeclared cultural mission, a carnpaign of national rejuvenation for Itaiy that was closely bound to his own artistic production. In bief, this project was envisioned by Sofici in terms of a cultural and aesthetic revolution that was to create a new Great Italy through moral renewal. From an art historical standpoint, the fundarnentally nationalist character of Soffici's work has in large part been ovenhadowed by his illustrious Parisian connections. In facf when considered for his aesthetics, Sofici's art is narrowly classified as a denvative of French cubism or as cubo- futurism. Such formulations take into account only a minute fragment of Soffici's aesthetic, a period spaming less than five years. Thus, through a thematic, as opposed to stylistic, analysis of Sofici's artistic output, I will attempt to redress this art historical imbalance by situating Soffici in the context of broader debates concerning the emergence of ultra-nationalism in Italy. AC.KNOWEDGMENTS I would tint like to thank rny supervisor, Mark Antliff whose advice, encouragement, and optimism greatly facilitated the writing of this thesis and whose impeccable scholarship will continue to provide inspiration for my career. Among the numerous professors in the art department who have contributed to my art historical formation, I must particularly thank: Lynda Jessup, for her insightfuf comments regarding my thesis, and more importantly for her friendship and support throughout my graduate studies; and Pat Leighten, for her clarifications of the cornplex cultural politics of avant- guerre Europe. Over the past eight years 1 have eagerly pursued rny love of Italian culture and in the process gained countless friends and contacts. I am gratefûl to the Cultural Office of the Embassy of Italy and the Ministem degli Affuri Esteri in Rome for granting me a scholarship in the summer of 1998 îhat allowed for a retum research trip to Florence. 1 owe a special thanks to my gracious hosts in Rome, Enna and Pietro Cavanna, as well as their extended family al1 over Italy, whose generosity and willingness to include me as part of their family enriched my experience of Italy enormously. Most importantly, 1 thank Virgilio, who has unselfishly provided me with support in every area of my life, academically and emotionally, and whose idealism, creativity, and compassion will remain integral to my outlook on life. In venturing into the world of academia I was continuously fortifed by rny fiiendships at Queen's University. 1 would like to particulary thank Ihor Junyk for his optimism and early encouragement, and my dearest fiends Andrea Cherniack, Caroline Walkinshaw, and Holly Simpson, for their humor, ambitio and strength. Finally, 1 owe a heartfelt thanks to my famiiy for their immeasurable kindnesses and unwavering support. To my parents, I extend my deepest gratitude for encouragirtg me to pursue my graduate studies and for allowing me the freedom to follow my dreams and passions. TABLE OF CONTENTS .. ABS~CT.................................................................................. ............... ii ... ACKNOWLEDGMENTS........................................................................... iii CFL4PTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Review of Literature................................................................... 1 1 -2 The Myth of Nationai Regeneration ......................................... 10 1.3 The Risorgimento: Italy's Faifed Spiritual Unification.......... .. 16 CHAPTER 2: SOFFICI'S PRE-WAR CULTURAL OUTPUT 2.1 Parisian Experience and Retm to Tuscany ............................. 24 2.2 La Voce.................................................................................... -33 2.3 Tuscan Landscape and Peasant Imagery .................................. 38 2.4 Literary Contributions to La Voce. ........................................... 47 2.5 Lacerba ..............,, .................................................................... 49 CHAPTER 3: SOFFICI'S POST-WAR CULTURAL OUTPUT 3.1 Fascism and the Retum to Order.............................................. 54 3.2 Art Criticism and Theoretical Writing ................................ -60 3.3 Modemist Cfassicism: The Tuscan Peasant Re.visited ........... -72 3.4 CONCLUSION ......... ..,.. ................................................... -82 ILLUSTRATIONS............................................................................... 85 BBLIOGRAPHY..................................................................................... 113 VTTA ........................................................................................................ 123 CHAPTER 1: iNTRODUCTION 1.1 Review of Literature Even the most cursory examination of Ardengo Softici's artistic output reveals that the landscape and peasantry of Tuscany figure prorninently as the central subject matter throughout much of his career. In two distinct periods of his oeuvre, Soffici rendered the local landscape and peasantry of his "rnotherland," Tuscany, in idyllic and sentimental terms, a nostaigic vision that incorpurated a naive artistic style with folk subject matter, and promoted the purity of the Tuscan character and the authenticity of traditional agricuitura1 ways of life. These two analogous thematic phases, the first marked by his retum to Florence in 1907 fiom Paris, continuing until 1912 (when his art was directed more towards the concerns of the Parisian-avant-garde, in particular that of the cubists); and the second marked by the end of the First Wortd War and continuing throughout the fascist regïme, will be the central focus of this thesis. Beginning with the premise that Italian fascisrn endeavored to define itself as a secular religion, supporting this ideal with an elaborate aesthetic system, and considering principles recently linked to nationalist movements such as the role of myth and tradition, this thesis will isolate the theoretical motivations informing Soffki's own version of modemist nationalism.' In particular, 1 will examine theories of palingenesis, 'For a discussion ofthe concept of a sdarr&gious system supporteci by aesthetics see Emilio Gentile, II Cdro del Litiorio: La Sacrafizzzione della poIitica nell ' Iiaiia Fascista. Roma: Editori Lat- 1993. Gentile ammarks these ideas in his article "Fascisrn as Politicai Religion," Joumai of Contemporary History 25 (May-June 1990). 229-5 1. He argues htfascism utilited an extensive system of myths, rituds, symbols and rites to mobii Itaiiam to make saaifices in order to transfonn the nation of Itaiy. or in other words the myth of national regeneration, that played a crucial role in Italian political and cultural history fiom the Ri~orgimentountil the Fise of fascism. Roger Grifin, in his fundamental work The iVrrrure qfF~sczs~has theorized the concept of palingenesis, suggesting that when combined with populist ultra-nationalism it foms fascism's permanent mythic core.' The tem itself is used generically to denote the vision of a radically new kgiming that follows a period of perceived degeneration or destru~tion.~National regeneration can be seen as an important principle in the formulation of Italian nationalism and the major preoccupation of the new generation of avant-garde intellectuals that aime to maturity in the period fiom 1900-19 14. In tracing themes of regionalism and nationalism in Soffici's art throughout