Spreading visual culture: contemporary art through periodicals, archives and illustrations.

State of the art and references

Periodicals and archives host critical debate and cultural exchange, thus representing an essential resource, which lacks proper exploration, also because of access 7 issues partially related to copyright legislation. The National Project grants the availability of such material, as shown by the letters of intent attached (see details in points 16 and 17). Regarding the bibliographic situation, we will proceed for each thematic and chronological field. The Nineteenth and Twentieth century satirical and caricature journals are rather neglected by critics, except for Paola Pallottino's work: “Storia dell'illustrazione italiana. Cinque secoli di immagini riprodotte”, Firenze, Volo-Usher arte 2010 (update of the precedent one: Bologna, Zanichelli, 1988) and Adolfo Chiesa (“La satira politica in Italia”, Roma - Bari, Laterza, 1990). There are also detailed studies on particular aspects such as “Seduzioni e miserie del potere. Visto da sinistra - Visto da destra. Galantara Scalarini Sironi Guareschi Altan”, exhibition catalogue (Vicenza, 2005), edited by G. Mazzotta, Milan, Mazzotta, 2005; oppure R. H. Krauss, “La fotografia nella caricatura”, Rome, Ciapanna, 1979. In particular, the studies promoted by the centre APICE must be mentioned, including “Un diluvio di giornali. Modelli di satira politica in Europa tra '48 e Novecento”, «Quaderni di Apice» series, edited by A. Negri, M. Sironi, Milan, Skira, 2007. There are also studies about the publisher Sonzogno (see works by Laura Barile including “Le parole illustrate: Edoardo Sonzogno editore del popolo”, Modena, Mucchi, 1994), but «Lo Spirito Folletto» has never been studied in detail. Recently A. P. Quinsac, “La satira, la caricatura e gli scapigliati. «fare colla penna un po'di guerra...»” in “La scapigliatura e Angelo Sommaruga: dalla bohème milanese alla Roma bizantina”, edited by A.P. Quinsac, G. Farinelli, M. Noja, Milan, Biblioteca di Via Senato Edizioni, 2009, has indirectly referred to the context of “Scapigliatura”. Turning to illustrated publishing in the Nineteenth and Twentieth centuries, the most recent contribution is represented by G. Bacci, “Le illustrazioni in Italia tra Otto e Novecento. Libri a figure, dinamiche culturali e visive”, Florence, Olschki, 2009. The field of enquiry is certainly large, starting from the fundamental Pallottino's “Storia dell'illustrazione italiana” (2010), and the works of Antonio Faeti (see at least “Guardare le figure. Gli illustratori italiani dei libri per l'infanzia”, Rome, Donzelli, 2011 [I ed. Turin, 1972]), up to more recent studies dedicated to illustrated editions for children, as “Amici di carta. Viaggio nella letteratura per i ragazzi”, edited by L. Braida, A. Cadioli, A. Negri, G. Rosa, Milan, Skira, 2007; “L'irripetibile stagione del giornalino della Domenica”, exhibition catalogue (Bologna, 2008), edited by P. Pallottino, Bologna, Bononia University Press, 2008, “Corriere dei Piccoli. Storie, fumetto e illustrazione per ragazzi”, exhibition catalogue (Milan, 2009), edited by G. Ginex, Milan, Skira 2009. The series «Cento anni di illustratori», edited by Paola Pallottino, dates back to the Seventies and host among others the volumes about Carlo Chiostri, Golia (Eugenio Colmo), Sto (Sergio Tofano), Aleardo Terzi. On Neapolitan illustrated publishing in the Nineteenth and Twentieth century we can mention M. Cuozzo, “Illustrazione e grafica nella stampa periodica napoletana dalla belle époque al fascismo”, Naples, Electa, 2005. As international landmarks we can also remember “L'Illustration. Essais d'iconographie”, Actes du colloque de CNRS (Paris, 1993-1994), sous la direction de M.T. Caracciolo, S. Le Men, Mayenne, Klincksieck, 1999; M.F. Zimmermann, “Industrialisierung der Phantasie. Der Aufbau des modernen Italien und das Mediensystem der Künste, 1875-1900”, München - Berlin, Deutscher Kunstverlag, 2006 ; “Le livre illustré européen au tournant des XIX et XX siècles. Passages, rémanences, innovations”, Actes du colloque international de Mulhouse (13-14 juin 2003), sous la direction de H. Védrine, Paris, Kimé, 2005; “L'Europe des revues 1880-1920. Estampes, photographies, illustrations”, sous la direction de E. Stead, H. Védrine, Paris, PUPS, 2008. Instead, P. Edwards, “Soleil noir. Photographie & littérature des origines au surréalisme”, Rennes, PUR, 2008 is focused on the role of photography. There are also recent monographs by Mariella Colin (“L'´ge d'or de la littérature d'enfance et de jeunesse italianne. Des origines au fascime”, Caen, Presses universitaires de Caen, 2005 ; “«Les enfants de Mussolini». Littérature, Livres, Lectures d'enfance et de jeunesse sous le fascisme. De la Grande Guerre à la chute du régime”, Caen, Presses universitaires de Caen, 2010). There are finally some studies dedicated to the publisher Bemporad (nowadays Giunti): “Paggi e Bemporad editori per la scuola: libri per leggere, scrivere e far di conto”, edited by C. I. Salviati, Florence, Giunti, 2007; “Enrico Bemporad. Autori e illustratori nel cammino di un grande editore”, exhibition catalogue (Florence, Biblioteca Marucelliana, 2009), edited by M. Zangheri with the collaboration of A. Conti, Florence, Giunti, 2009; L. Cappelli, “Le edizioni Bemporad. Catalogo 1889-1938”, Milano, Franco Angeli, 2009. Moving on to «Riviera», we can remark that the periodical has spurred a very rich critical interest, grown continuously over the years; even though the scientific and methodological praxis of these critical studies has been often sectorial, notwithstanding the good results achieved; see “La Riviera ligure: momenti di una rivista”, exhibition catalogue (Genova, 1984), edited by P. Boero, M. Novaro, Genoa, Sagep, 1984; R. Bossaglia, “La Riviera Ligure: un modello di grafica liberty”, Genoa, Costa & Nolan, 1985.