GX1993.134-136

Unità di misura: cm; Altezza: 79; Larghezza: 173,5; Profondità: 82; Varie: Scrivania; Unità di misura: cm; Altezza: 186; Larghezza: 93,5; Profondità: 55; Varie: Librerie

legno di mogano

This study was designed by architect Ödön Faragó for the Hungarian section at the Exhibition of Modern Decorative Art in Turin in 1902, as attested by the exhibition participation labels on the back of the two bookcases. As early as 1901 Faragó was awarded the gold medal for Applied Arts by the Hungarian government for this furniture ensemble in which, in addition to influences from the Austrian Secession, references to the sinuous lines and plant decorations of Franco-Belgian art nouveau can be recognised. Study consisting of a desk and two bookcases, all made of mahogany decorated with brass appliqués with plant forms.

GX1993.46a-e

Unità di misura: cm; Altezza: 269; Larghezza: 212; Profondità: 66

legno di rovere

The Credenza was part of the Blaues or Hessisches Zimmer (The Blue Room), designed by the Austrian architect Joseph Maria Olbrich, the founder, together with Gustav Klimt, Josef Hoffmann and Koloman Moser, of the Viennese Secession and author of the palace of the same name, built in Vienna in 1897-1889. In 1899 Olbrich was called upon by the Grand Duke of Hesse Ernst Ludwig von Hessen to direct the design of the Artists' Colony in Darmstadt. The Blaues Zimmer was exhibited by Olbrich, again on behalf of the Grand Duke of Hessen, in the German section at the 1902 Exhibition of Modern Decorative Art in Turin. For this work, the architect was awarded first prize by the International Jury. The sideboard in the Wolfsoniana originally had a grey-blue colour, as attested by magazines of the time. The counter cupboard, now preserved in Darmstadt at the Artists' Colony Museum, was also deprived of its original colour. Impressive sideboard with rounded volumes made of carved oak, decorated with brass and embossed copper applications.

GX1993.147-159

Unità di misura: UNR

legno di mogano

The mahogany living room made by the firm Luigi Fontana & C. of Milan comes from a palace in Trani, Apulia, for which it was custom-designed, and is now presented, partially reconstructed, in the Wolfsoniana exhibition. The history of this piece of furniture is linked to the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative Art in Turin in 1902: it was commissioned by a visitor to the exhibition who, on that occasion, had purchased the dining room displayed by the Milanese manufacturer. This exceptional piece of furniture has been preserved in its original completeness, including the fabrics, curtains and carpet. The living room, made of mahogany, includes an armchair, four chairs, a coffee table, a sofa, a corner sofa, a rug, two doors and an etagere with mirror. The furnishings feature dark green frosted glass inserts in the furniture and glass paste decoration on the doors, depicting sinuous female figures and floral motifs, while the fabrics are embellished with velvet appliqués.

GX1993.295

Unità di misura: cm; Altezza: 145; Larghezza: 200

tempera su carta

Owen Jones, author of Grammar of Ornaments, published in London in 1856, dedicated two volumes of his work Plans, Elevations, Sections and Details of the Alhambra, printed between 1842 and 1845, to the Alhambra in Granada, highlighting how the architecture of this building represented a model of universal stylistic perfection. This model became one of the main references for the taste for exoticism, as evidenced by the numerous open-air theatres that sprang up in Italy at the end of the 19th century, which were named Alhambra. Among these, we must mention the one in Florence, inaugurated in 1889 but subsequently renovated to a design by Adolfo Coppedè. The drawing depicts the Alhambra Theatre in Florence.

GX1993.45.1

Unità di misura: cm; Altezza: 90; Larghezza: 42; Profondità: 42

maiolica

Inspired by his fundamental experience in Siam – where he stayed from 1911 to 1913, called by King Rama VI to create the pictorial decorations for the Throne Palace, designed by architects Annibale Rigotti and Mario Tamagno – gave rise to the impressive decorative apparatus of the Berzieri Thermal Baths in Salsomaggiore, inaugurated in 1923 and designed by architect Ugo Giusti. In the decorative elements of Chini's flower boxes, stylised geometric motifs of Secessionist origin are integrated with iconographic themes of Eastern derivation: such as the lion's head, already reproduced in the famous painting Ultimo giorno dell'anno cinese a Bangkok (Last Day of the Chinese Year in Bangkok, 1912) and then replicated on the façade and decoration of the bar counter of the Tamerici Establishment in Montecatini and on the façade of the Berzieri Thermal Baths themselves Vase with geometric and decorative motifs.

GD1993.8.1-2

Unità di misura: cm; Altezza: 99; Larghezza: 100; Profondità: 8; Unità di misura: cm; Altezza: 99; Larghezza: 100; Profondità: 6

gesso

The two panels represent two casts of the Triptych of Friendship, which was exhibited at the 18th Venice International Art Biennale in 1932 at the Exhibition of Aeropainting and Painting by Italian Futurists. Made of taiattite (an aluminium-based alloy invented by Thayaht himself), it also included an element entitled Singing Together. Bas-relief triptych with geometric male figures.

GX1993.117a,b

Unità di misura: cm; Altezza: 300; Larghezza: 61; Profondità: 105

gesso

The large sculpture – characterised by classical stylistic and iconographic references, in line with the celebration of “Romanity” that marked Fascist propaganda – represents one of the studies of the plastic decorations that Scapolla created in 1938 for the decoration of a shrine to Fascist martyrs and heroes, to be built in Pavia to commemorate the return of the volunteers who had participated in the Spanish Civil War. The work depicts a half-length figure of a soldier with his arms raised above his head.

Unità di misura: cm; Altezza: 160; Larghezza: 66; Profondità: 55

cera e acciaio

The artist, who was born and raised in Miami Beach, intended this sculpture to depict her childhood friend Micky as a “colossus”, moving from one part of the globe to another in search of works for his collection. For Colossus, a sculpture covered in wax, she was inspired by the artist Medardo Rosso, whose life and work run somewhat parallel to the period of Micky Wolfson's collection, which focuses on the decades between 1880 and 1950. Colossus, however, is a structurally modern work: a steel frame supports the armour, for a portrait that encompasses both body and soul.

2402

Unità di misura: cm; Altezza: 22,3; Larghezza: 35,5

carta- acquaforte

Etching depicting boats steered by two men.

3945

Unità di misura: m; Altezza: 190; Larghezza: 1.24; Lunghezza: 1.90

legno

The end of the Napoleonic wars with the Treaty of Vienna also coincided with the cancellation of the Ligurian Republic and its annexation to the Kingdom of Sardinia. The Savoy were thus given an instrument, the maritime and port instrument, that the ruling house had been aiming for for centuries. It is not surprising, therefore, that one of the first projects that the Piedmontese dynasty promoted was to build a large navy in order to pursue a policy of maritime power. This task was facilitated by Napoleon's legacy which, particularly in Genoa and the Cantieri della Foce, had created the infrastructure and trained a staff of shipbuilders capable of designing and building large military ships. One example is the frigate San Michele, built in 1840 to the design of engineer Giacomo Biga. Having become obsolete, from 1862 it was used as a training ship until 1868, when it was transferred to La Spezia, where it was scrapped in 1875. Model of the hull and complete sail equipment of the Sardinian frigate 'San Michele'. Note the presence of the raised bridge - or “command bridge” as it was called at the time - located immediately in front of the mizzenmast.