On Rai 5 premiere of the documentary dedicated to Felice Casorati

On Wednesday, Feb. 19 at 9:15 p.m., Rai 5 will premiere, as part of its Art Night program, the documentary Felice Casorati. A Study of His Own, produced by Rai Cultura and written by Emanuela Avallone and Linda Tugnoli, with scientific advice from Giorgina Bertolino, art historian and curator of the current exhibition at the Palazzo Reale in Milan. This documentary recounts the figure of Felice Casorati (Novara, 1883 - Turin, 1963), one of the most relevant protagonists of20th-century Italian art, with a deep and intimate look at his life and work.

The documentary focuses on the Turin-based artist, a man who, as curator Bertolino tells us, always felt a deep connection with the city of Turin. It is precisely the perfect geometry of the city that seems to have reflected his artistic vision. The narrative unravels through various aspects of his life, interweaving the artist’s story with the places and people that profoundly influenced his path.

Witnesses and symbolic places are at the center of this narrative, which takes us to the house-studio in Via Mazzini and the studio in Pavarolo, in the hills of Turin. Here Casorati’s granddaughters Giulia, Natalia and Chiara open the doors to the familiar universe of the artist and his life partner, Daphne Maugham, who was also his pupil. The presence of these symbolic places makes it possible to reconstruct the private and creative dimension of an artist who always lived in close symbiosis with his living space.

Several distinguished voices speak in the documentary, recounting various aspects of Casorati’s life and career. Cesare Pianciola, of the Piero Gobetti Study Center, delves into the intellectual connection between Casorati and the celebrated anti-fascist from Turin. Alessandro Martini, historian of architecture, and Stefano Baldi, of the Library of Art, Music and Performing Arts at the University of Turin, instead recount Casorati’s relationship with Riccardo Gualino, the patron for whom Casorati made important family portraits.

The figure of Cesarina Gualino, the protagonist of a reflection led by collector Patrizia Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, is central, as is the friendship with composer Alfredo Casella, which is explored by Turin Conservatory lecturer Giangiorgio Satragni. Casorati shared with Casella a deep passion for music, an aspect that emerges as a fundamental part of his creative universe.

Another chapter of the documentary concerns Casorati’s role as a teacher, a path that saw him go from self-taught to master at theAccademia Albertina, where he also became president, as recounted by lecturer Alessandro Botta. In addition, Chiara Bertola, director of GAM in Turin, illustrates how Casorati’s works fit into the Turin art scene, and how the city represented an ideal refuge for him in his production.

An important section is also devoted to his activity as a set designer for Italian opera houses, particularly La Scala in Milan, as explained by Vittoria Crespi Morbio, President of the Associazione Amici della Scala. An aspect that reveals how Casorati, although a painter, had a multifaceted vision of art, which also included the scenographic dimension.

Rai, through Ennio Matano, Head of Artistic Heritage, also recounts how Rai itself can boast the possession of a work by Casorati, linked to his first radio broadcast.

Rai Cultura’s documentary returns a complete picture of Felice Casorati, one of the most singular and unconventional artists of the Italian twentieth century. Not only his artistic journey is explored, but also his international influence, as pointed out by art historian Sergio Cortesini, who highlights Casorati’s great success abroad.

On Rai 5 premiere of the documentary dedicated to Felice Casorati

Warning: the translation into English of the original Italian article was created using automatic tools. We undertake to review all articles, but we do not guarantee the total absence of inaccuracies in the translation due to the program. You can find the original by clicking on the ITA button. If you find any mistake,please contact us.