Italian Town by the Sea, c. 1917
Alexandra Exterexpand_more
Oil and tempera on canvasexpand_more
The John R. Van Derlip Fundexpand_more 2008.83
On View in Gallery 367expand_more
Alexandra Exter was a key figure in the Russian avant-garde, whose contribution to the development and dissemination of Cubist and Futurist techniques in Russia was exceedingly important. With her first trip to France in 1907 she established contact with the key players of French Cubism but, interestingly, she never embraced the monochromatic aesthetic of their work. She was equally selective in her encounters with Italian Futurism, rejecting its glorification of the machine and speed, but incorporating its sense of momentum into her pictorial philosophy. Thus, Exter's art became an amalgam of French and Italian influences known today as Cubo-Futurism.
The inspiration for the present work was drawn, most likely, from Exter's visit to Italy in 1914, and her impressions of coastal towns clinging to the hillsides became a vehicle for this dynamic demonstration of space rhythmically organized by color and line. The faceted architectural forms and sweeping bands of blue create a circular movement that is repetitively insistent-as though governed by an internal spring.
Frame: Gift of Master Framers Inc. and the Mr. and Mrs. James S. Nordlie Fund
Details
- Title
- Italian Town by the Sea
- Artist Life
- 1882 - 1949
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- 2008.83
- Curator Approved
This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
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