Renato Bertelli (1900-1974) - Profilo continuo del Duce
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€ 25
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Selected by Giulia Couzzi
Master’s in culture and arts innovation, with a decade in 20th-21st century Italian art.
Estimate € 300 - € 400
 | €25 | |
|---|---|---|
 | €20 | |
| €15 | |
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Renato Bertelli’s Profilo continuo del Duce is a resin bust mounted on a black lacquered wood base, finished in silver, measuring 18 cm high overall (14 cm bust) and 10 cm wide by 10 cm deep, weighing 1.2 kg, made in Italy, in excellent condition and unsigned.
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Description from the seller
This is a rare reproduction of the famous 1933 masterpiece titled 'Continuous Profile of the Duce', designed by the Italian artist Renato Bertelli (1900 - 1974), who was an important representative of the modern art movement Futurism, which took hold during Mussolini's regime.
At first glance, this does not look like a bust, but a closer look reveals, from every side of this artwork, the characteristic profile of Mussolini with his powerful jawline.
Hence the title 'Continuous Profile of the Duce', as the profile of Mussolini is continuously recognizable (at 360 degrees) no matter which side the object is turned: the profile remains visible to the left, to the right, in front and behind!
The brilliant design was considered (and still is) very innovative, cutting-edge, and progressive for that era, and it recalls similarities with a mechanical component of the machine age, which aligned with Mussolini's self-proclaimed image as defender of the working class.
As a bust, very unusual in design, it was also a symbol of the 'omnipresent leader who always kept everything and everyone under control'.
The Italian art critic Marco Moretti expressed it this way: 'The dynamic plasticity of this Duce's profile, visible from every point, launched—without rhetoric—the metaphor of a vigilant and unwearied leader who sees and protects everything.'
The concept is tied to stop-motion photography design, and this did not escape the famous photographer Robert Mapplethorpe: he produced a famous artistic photo of an exemplar of this bust (see Google 'Mapplethorpe Mussolini bust').
This resin reproduction is outstanding in appearance and quality because it is finished with a silver-colored finish and mounted on a ceramic base.
The resin bust, 14 cm tall, is mounted securely on a black lacquered wooden base 4 cm high, and the entire object (the two parts together) is 18 cm high, 10 cm wide and 10 cm deep, and weighs 1.2 kilograms.
The object is shipped immediately after purchase with Track & Trace, well packaged.
This is a rare reproduction of the famous 1933 masterpiece titled 'Continuous Profile of the Duce', designed by the Italian artist Renato Bertelli (1900 - 1974), who was an important representative of the modern art movement Futurism, which took hold during Mussolini's regime.
At first glance, this does not look like a bust, but a closer look reveals, from every side of this artwork, the characteristic profile of Mussolini with his powerful jawline.
Hence the title 'Continuous Profile of the Duce', as the profile of Mussolini is continuously recognizable (at 360 degrees) no matter which side the object is turned: the profile remains visible to the left, to the right, in front and behind!
The brilliant design was considered (and still is) very innovative, cutting-edge, and progressive for that era, and it recalls similarities with a mechanical component of the machine age, which aligned with Mussolini's self-proclaimed image as defender of the working class.
As a bust, very unusual in design, it was also a symbol of the 'omnipresent leader who always kept everything and everyone under control'.
The Italian art critic Marco Moretti expressed it this way: 'The dynamic plasticity of this Duce's profile, visible from every point, launched—without rhetoric—the metaphor of a vigilant and unwearied leader who sees and protects everything.'
The concept is tied to stop-motion photography design, and this did not escape the famous photographer Robert Mapplethorpe: he produced a famous artistic photo of an exemplar of this bust (see Google 'Mapplethorpe Mussolini bust').
This resin reproduction is outstanding in appearance and quality because it is finished with a silver-colored finish and mounted on a ceramic base.
The resin bust, 14 cm tall, is mounted securely on a black lacquered wooden base 4 cm high, and the entire object (the two parts together) is 18 cm high, 10 cm wide and 10 cm deep, and weighs 1.2 kilograms.
The object is shipped immediately after purchase with Track & Trace, well packaged.
Details
Era
1900-2000
Country of origin
Italy
Style
Realism
Material
Resin, Wood
Artist
Renato Bertelli (1900-1974)
Title of artwork
Profilo continuo del Duce
Signature
Not signed
Colour
Silver
Condition
Excellent condition
Height
18 cm
Width
10 cm
Depth
10 cm
Weight
1.2 kg
