Duilio Cambellotti and the Roman Scene of the 1920s

The third section moves on to the period between the two world wars. It is dedicated to Duilio Cambellotti, one of the most important figures in Italian decorative arts in the early 1900s. Known for his marked inclination towards integration of the arts, the Roman artist was a painter, sculptor, illustrator, engraver, scenographer and costume maker for theatre and cinema. He designed furniture, ceramics, glass panels, medals, jewellery, and complete interiors. Le Curiose and La Notte - his archaic and elegant wall cabinets presented at the Monza Biennial International Decorative Arts Exhibition in 1923 and 1925, together with the Panca dei Timoni and the Mobile dei Falchi - along with the glass panel Stemma del Trecento and a number of ceramic works, give an idea of the quality and multifaceted character of his work. Cambellotti provides context to the works of other artists active in the 1920s Roman scene: from Vittorio Grassi to Melchiorre Melis as well as a number of young artists working mainly in ceramics. Also presented is an emblematic pictorial work of that period, Idolo del Prisma (1925) by Ferruccio Ferrazzi, one of the protagonists of Magic Realism and an artist who was very closely associated with the circle in which Cambellotti worked.