MEDARDO ROSSO
October 17, 2014 - June 27, 2015
Annual Installation
The second season at the Center for Italian Modern Art (CIMA) was dedicated to acclaimed modernist Medardo Rosso (1858 – 1928) and was the first exhibition to showcase his serial sculpture alongside a large body of his drawings and experimental photography, revealing the masterful range of an artist known chiefly for his three-dimensional work. Anchored by an important loan from the Museo Medardo Rosso in Barzio, Italy, the presentation explored the broad range of materials—from gesso, wax, and bronze, to photography and drawing—in which Rosso worked.
Highlights of the public programming included a symposium on Rosso’s technique and approach to serial sculpture; an artist talk by Richard Nonas; a Study Day on Alfred and Margaret Scolari Barr; and a Study Day on Medardo Rosso.
Together with Rosso, CIMA presented two works by the American artist Cy Twombly, including the painting Untitled (New York City), 1956, and the work-on-paper diptych Idilion, 1976. Born in the U.S., Twombly spent much of his life in Rome and frequently drew inspiration from classical mythology and the Italian Renaissance. His paintings and drawings often feature large-scale, freely made, calligraphic marks—emotive gestures that foster a dynamic dialogue when presented alongside the drawings and collaged photographs of Rosso. CIMA hosted a conversation with Nicholas Cullinan and Isabelle Dervaux, exploring the affinities between the artists.
WATCH VIDEOS FROM THIS SEASON’S PROGRAMMING!
PRESS RELEASE
Installation Checklist
With the Patrocinio and support of:
- View of Medardo Rosso installation at CIMA; photo by Walter Smalling Jr.
- Medardo Rosso, Bambino malato (Sick Child) (left, wax, from Nasher Sculpture Center; right, plaster, from Museo Medardo Rosso). Photograph by Walter Smalling.
- View of Medardo Rosso at CIMA, with Ecce Puer (Behold the Child) (plaster, from Museo Medardo Rosso) at right and drawings in distance. Photo by Walter Smalling Jr.
- Medardo Rosso, Bambino al seno (Child at the Breast), (bronze, from Museo Medardo Rosso), and related photos on wall. Photo by Walter Smalling, Jr.
- View of Medardo Rosso installation at CIMA (October 2014-June 2015). Photo by Walter Smalling.
- View of Medardo Rosso at CIMA, with series of Madame Noblet sculptures (from l-r: wax from Ca’ Pesaro, Venice; bronze from Galleria d’Arte Moderna, Milan; plaster from Museo Medardo Rosso, Barzio). Photo by Walter Smaling Jr.