William G. Congdon's unpublished works from the Rapetti Collection on display in Milan

A previously unseen selection of paintings by American artist William G. Congdon (Providence, Rhode Island, 1912 - Milan, 1998) from Carlo Rapetti’s collection will be exhibited along the monumental staircase of Milan ’s Sormani Library to mark the 20th anniversary of the artist’s death.
The exhibition will be entitled"William G.Congdon. The Gesture of the Ego. Unseen (saved) from the Rapetti Collection" and will be open to the public from September 7 to October 23, 2018.

Congdon and Rapetti had a friendly relationship and collaborated during the painter’s time spent in the Milanese Lowlands from the 1980s until his death.

The purpose of the exhibition is to lead to insights and reflections for new keys to interpret Congdon’s integral work: in particular, it aims to provide a“secular” reading of his art, of his paintings with a religious character. According to exhibition curator Mario Cancelli, Congdon’s crucifixes represent the self as a discovery of the body/psyche.

In addition to the paintings, documents of the artist made available by The William G. Congdon Foundation will be on display, including photographs, autographed letters from Jacques Maritain, Thomas Merton and Igor Stravinsky, diaries and some painting tools, as well as catalogs and publications from the Library’s collections.
On the top floor, the work Summer 19, a synthesis of the artist’s journey already possessing an original language, welcomes visitors.

The choice of a library as an exhibition space is also not accidental: in the “library of the Milanese, lay cathedral of knowledge,” a reinterpretation of Congdon’s work is propitiated.

Hours: Monday through Friday from 3 to 7 p.m. Saturday from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Closed Sundays and holidays.

Free admission.

Image: William G. Congdon, Sky (May 19, 1992; oil on panel, 70 x 60 cm; Carlo Rapetti Collection)

William G. Congdon's unpublished works from the Rapetti Collection on display in Milan

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.