At the GAM in Milan, a focus on one of Balla's early transitional works from pointillism to the movement

Through March 13, 2022, the Galleria d’Arte Moderna in Milan is dedicating an in-depth focus to one of Giacomo Balla’s most significant works, on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the artist’s birth: it is Bambina x balcone, which marks the transition from the earlier Divisionist production to the research on the movement that would be fully developed in the painter’s Futurist phase.

Created on the back of a canvas depicting a luminous landscape from around 1897, which can still be seen today, Bambina x balcone depicts Balla’s eldest daughter, Luce, as she runs across the long balcony of the house, but the seemingly everyday subject abandons any description of details. The sensation of movement is rendered through the repetition of the figure according to a precise rhythm, which determines its movement from left to right, while the interpenetration with the railing, the only environmental reference, superimposes straight lines on the figure, amplifying the rhythm of the sequence, as the title itself suggests.

The pure overlapping notched brushstrokes also emphasize the elimination of contours and give that sense of great chromatic luminosity that characterizes the work. The use of bright, squillant colors and the freedom of drafting are a legacy of the Divisionist season, but they also reflect the experimentation that followed the trip to Düsseldorf in July 1912, when Balla had the opportunity to visit several exhibitions featuring Fauves works.

In the exhibition the work is accompanied by studies for the painting belonging to the collections of GAM Milan.

For more info: gam-milano.com

Hours: Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Closed Mondays.

Museum/exhibition integrated ticket: Full 5 euros, reduced 3 euros. Free admission on the first and third Tuesday of the month from 2 p.m.

Image: Giacomo Balla, Child x balcony (1912; oil on canvas; Milan, Galleria d’Arte Moderna, Grassi Collection)

At the GAM in Milan, a focus on one of Balla's early transitional works from pointillism to the movement

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.