Page 32 - Studio International - July 1965

The 'Impressions' of
Toti Scialoja
1 by Gillo Dorfles

Anyone who happens to put ashore on the beautiful painting under his arm; there he enjoys the lazy summer
island of Procida. which is situated halfway between months of the Neapolitan vacation, seemingly far­
Naples and lschia, and less well-known than the latter­ removed from the warlike and political concerns of his
though no less picturesque-will, when he walks ancestors.
through the main square of the chief town, be unable to Obeying the family tradition, Toti entered on a course
ignore a monument placed there to the memory of of legal studies in Rome-his birthplace. He interrupted
Antonio Scialoja. his academic career in order to enter the Academy of
It was erected to celebrate the famous politician-one Fine Arts, where he was first a student and then a
of Cavour's ministers and one of those Neapolitans who lecturer for about eight years, holding the Chair of
took a leading part in the movement for the unification Scenic Design. In fact, the artist devoted himself in the
of Italy. years 1942 to 1950 to stage design work; it was in that
But the very same square is, in a different way, a period that Scialoja evolved the choreography and
monument to the memory of another Antonio Scialoja, designed the costumes for several important theatrical
who lived in the previous century; the recollection must ventures, such as, for example, the ballets of Petrassi,
be very different, for it was here, on the same square Stravinsky and Bartok and choreographic works con­
1 that he was hanged during the Revolution of 1799 for ducted by Milmosz, Janine Charrat and Pandolfi. It is
Nero al centro 1964 his support of the French against the Bourbon monarchy impossible to understand the basis of Scialoja's painting
50 x 70 cm.
(held up by the English under the leadership of Lord and his complex personality, unless one takes into
2 Nelson). account such aspects of his life and work that are
Anche niente 1961
59 x 79 cm. Yet another 'Antonio'-the painter Toti Scialoja­ essential elements of his art: Scialoja, besides being a
3 grandnephew of the first-mentioned and great-grand­ painter by profession, is also a scenic designer
The unicorn in captivity 1963 nephew of the second is sometimes to be seen about the (recently his success in Berlin with the production of
50 x 70 cm.
Collection: Adriana Panni, Rome island, clad in a pair of bathing trunks and carrying a two works by the Italian poets Sanguineti and Giuliani
16