Venezia Passatista?: Luigi De Giudici and a Broader Futurism

• Published in: Visual resources 2010-12, Vol.26 (4), p.331-366
• Main Authors: Zaczek, Barbara M., Paul, Catherine E., De Giudici, Angelo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Ca' Pesaro, Venice; De Giudici, Luigi (1887-1955); Italian Futurism; Italian modernism; Marinetti, Filippo Tommaso (1876-1944); Rossi, Gino (1884-1947); Venetian modernism
• ISSN: 0197-3762; 1477-2809
• DOI: 10.1080/01973762.2010.522388

This article explores the artistic trajectory of a lesser-known Italian painter and supporter of Futurism, Luigi De Giudici (1887-1955), also known as Gigi De Giudici. Building on a narrative written by Gigi's son Angelo, who through meticulous research brought his father's figure into the public eye, our article reveals Italian Futurism to be a more complex and less homogenous movement than has been widely accepted by critics. Access to visual materials from the private archive of Angelo De Giudici (letters, postcards, unpublished sketches, notes and drawings on pages torn from books or exhibition catalogs, inscriptions, and photographs) allows re-examination in a new cultural context of such crucial issues for Italian Futurism as war, contempt for women, and an image of passéist Venice, largely propagated by F. T. Marinetti's manifestoes. Our insistence on a broader understanding of Futurism establishes connections between mainstream Futurism and its numerous offshoots, highlighting their contribution to the creation of artistic communities in various geographical spaces and their embrace of diverse artworks and styles.