Figures of Wolfango in Salaborsa
May 19 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 72 °F
“Drawing is breathing, painting is living.”
~ Wolfango Peretti Poggi ~
We had not heard of Wolfango until we saw some of his illustrations at a temporary exhibit at the Archiginnasio last month … featuring works dedicated to Dante and others.
As it turns out, he was “… a celebrated international artist and painter who lived and worked in Bologna. His multifaceted work includes paintings, etchings, and drawings … as well as terracotta figures he made for his children.
The city is showcasing Wolfango in celebration of the centenary of his birth. The "Wolfango 100 - 100 Wolfango" is designed to highlight his work, and honor him through concerts, readings, documentary screenings, a photographic exhibit of the man himself … just to name a few of the events. Some of the events are already past … others are scheduled for later this year.
Today, as we were passing by Biblioteca Salaborsa, Bologna’s main multimedia public library inside the historic Palazzo d'Accursio, I remembered that some of his work is on display in the Piazza Coperta (covered square).
The info panel’s description of the “Figures of Wolfango in Salaborsa” temporary exhibition was a instructive as to what we would be seeing, so I am quoting it here rather than paraphrasing it …
“… you can admire five original drawings, large scenes crowded with characters from children's literature, which were later reproduced on the walls of the Puppet Room of the Salaborsa Ragazzi Library. The exhibition display cases also house sketches, preparatory drawings, and reference books. On the panels, in addition to the words of Antonio Faeti and Wolfango himself, there are spectacular enlargements that recall the Puppet Room and invite children and families to play a game of recognition. For the library, Wolfango has created a world of quotes that pay homage to children's literature and illustration, from Rodari to Calvino, from Luzzati to Disney, from Alice to the Little Prince... In each scene, he has amused himself with a self-quotation: Tom Thumb, Pinocchio, Sandokan... it's up to us to have fun recognizing them!”
And fun we had.
I was especially happy to see the reproduced panels as there was too much reflection on the glass display cases … making it not only difficult to see some of the details, but also to get any decent photos.
A short and sweet detour before it was time for our afternoon plans …Read more