The loves and torments, the unbridled creativity and the sentiments concealed in the darkest corners of her hermetic obsessions, seeping out onto her canvases, her letters, in the photos of an icon of international art going by the name of Frida. At the Fabbrica del Vapore, Il Caos Dentro, a stunning interactive photographic itinerary details the dramatic existence of the Mexican artist. Visiting the important places of her life - from her home in Mexico City to the intimacy of her bedroom, from her studio built in 1946, to the garden of Casa Azul - the spectator enters into Frida’s relationship with her husband, artist Diego Rivera, to retrace, through the photos of Leo Matiz, the intimate personal story of the painter, beyond the mere pop legend. Conceived as a sort of journalistic narrative, its high-points coincide with the most significant events in the life of the artist, where her health issues intertwine with her social and political passions, as well as her love life, the exhibition winding through a complex universe comprised of ecstasy and pain. The atelier is particularly enthralling, illuminated by natural light, with its furnishings, pigments in glass bottles and palettes covered in paint, but also Frida’s wheelchair, right next to her easel. Then there’s the section dedicated to Diego, where the visitor can find the evocative letters written by the artist to her husband and the room dedicated to the the culture and popular art of Mexico which had so much influence on Kahlo. There are also some colourful examples of necklaces, rings, earrings, wide skirts and extravagant hats that belonged to the celebrated art icon.
The Vittoriale degli Italiani - the Extraordinary Dwelling of Gabriele D’Annunzio
Just a handful of kilometres from Milan stands one of the most eccentric and extraordinary homes in Italy. The original furnishings, the charming atmosphere and suffused light, the library, the spectacular park, all celebrate the genius of an eclectic and truly original man.
Madonna of the Towers by Bramantino at the Mystery of the Overturned Toad
What symbology is hidden behind the animal depicted by the artist under the figure of Archangel Michael in the work created towards the end of the second decade of the 1500s?
Artemisia Gentileschi, Sofonisba Anguissola, Lavinia Fontana, Giovanna Garzoni and Fede Galizia - great artists forgotten by history but well worth rediscovering.