The Fronte Nuovo delle Arti was an Italian avant-garde art movement founded in Venice in 1947, initially called the “New Italian Artistic Secession.” Coordinated by critic Giuseppe Marchiori, the movement aimed to unite artists with different tendencies for social and cultural renewal through art.
Origins of the movement
The birth of the movement
The movement was born with the aim of breaking away from the “Novecento” style imposed by Fascism, focusing instead on a dialectic of forms and on an art that was an instrument of declaration and exploration of the world.
The name change
A few months later, at Guttuso’s behest, the name was changed to “Fronte Nuovo delle Arti” to emphasize the ideal and political momentum of the initiative.
The poetics and artists of the Fronte Nuovo delle Arti
The philosophy of the movement
Main artists of the group
The artists of the group New Front of the Arts , although without a common style, united on the basis of a moral necessity to make art an instrument of social and political engagement. Prominent signatories and members include: Renato Guttuso, Renato Birolli, Bruno Cassinari, Ennio Morlotti, Emilio Vedova, Giuseppe Santomaso, Leoncillo, Alberto Viani.
Renato Guttuso
Renato Guttuso (1911-1987) was one of the most important Italian painters of the 20th century, known for his realist style and strong social and political commitment. Born in Bagheria, Sicily, Guttuso trained artistically in Palermo and then in Rome, where he came into contact with the artistic avant-garde. His work is characterized by figurative painting that mixes realism, expressionism and cubist influences, often focusing on social themes such as class struggle, labor and popular life. Among his most famous works are Fucilazione in campagna (1938) and Vucciria (1974), which celebrate Sicilian reality and anti-fascist resistance. Guttuso was also an active intellectual, linked to the Italian Communist Party, and his works reflect a deep interest in the political and human issues of his time.
Renato Birolli
Renato Birolli (1905-1959), born in Verona, was a prominent painter in the Italian art scene. Trained in the Milanese milieu, he joined the Nuovo Fronte delle Arti in 1946, contributing a style that combined realism with Cubist and Expressionist influences. His works, such as those in the Landscapes series, explore nature and society with a poetic and dynamic language. Birolli was also an active intellectual, linked to anti-fascist ideals, and his work reflects a commitment to art as a means of social expression.
Bruno Cassinari
Bruno Cassinari (1912-1992), born in Piacenza, was a painter and sculptor who participated in the New Front of the Arts with a figurative approach influenced by cubism and realism. His works, characterized by bright colors and stylized forms, often depict still lifes, landscapes, and human figures. Cassinari stood out for his ability to balance emotion and formal structure, contributing to the renewal of Italian art in the postwar period.
Ennio Morlotti
Ennio Morlotti (1910-1992), a native of Lecco, was a painter who joined the New Front of the Arts with art deeply rooted in nature and realism. Influenced by Cézanne and the Lombard landscape, his style evolved toward a material expressiveness, with canvases exploring the relationship between man and nature. His works, such as Landscape and Rocks, show a dense and vibrant painting that anticipates Informal.
Emilio Vedova
Emilio Vedova (1919-2006), born in Venice, was one of the leading exponents of Italian abstract art and an active member of the New Front of the Arts. His energetic, gestural style, influenced by abstract expressionism, reflected the tumult of the postwar period. Works such as Clash of Situations expressed tension and dynamism, with a strong political and social commitment. Vedova is considered a key figure in the evolution of contemporary Italian art.
Giuseppe Santomaso
Giuseppe Santomaso (1907-1990), from Venice, was a painter who combined figurative and abstract elements in his work for the New Front of the Arts. Influenced by the Venetian tradition and masters such as Klee and Miró, he developed a pictorial language characterized by luminous colors and balanced compositions. His works, such as Reflections on Water, explore the relationship between light, color and space, contributing to the debate between realism and abstraction.
Santomaso Interno n.3
Leoncillo
Leoncillo (1915-1968), pseudonym of Leoncillo Leonardi, born in Spoleto, was a prominent ceramicist and sculptor in the New Front of the Arts. His ceramic sculptures, often realist-inspired, address social and political themes with an intense, textured language. Works such as Madre proletaria reflect his anti-fascist commitment and his search for an art that combined traditional craftsmanship and modernity.
Alberto Viani
Alberto Viani (1906-1989), born in Quistello, was a sculptor who participated in the New Front of the Arts with works that explore the human form in an abstract way. Influenced by Moore and Brâncuși, Viani created elegant, fluid sculptures, often in marble or bronze, that express a sense of harmony and movement. His work is distinguished by his search for a balance between abstraction and figurative references, contributing to the group’s experimentation.
The first exhibitions and Critical Reception
The first exhibition
The first exhibition was held in Milan, at the Galleria della Spiga, in June 1947, and was seen as an understanding between free artists representing Italian art in its many directions.
The Venice Biennale
The exhibitions at the Venice Biennale in 1948 were more successful, although the movement faced an internal crisis due to the unevenness among artists.
The political breakthrough
After the break between the movement and the Communist Party, many artists moved toward a socialist realism, abandoning the freer and more experimental forms in favor of a more orthodox and propagandistic style.
The end of the movement
The Fronte Nuovo delle Arti officially disbanded in the spring of 1949, leaving a legacy of social and cultural engagement in the Italian art scene.
