Renato Bertelli (1900-1974) after - Profilo continuo del Duce

04
days
22
hours
30
minutes
14
seconds
Current bid
€ 19
No reserve price
Giulia Couzzi
Expert
Selected by Giulia Couzzi

Master’s in culture and arts innovation, with a decade in 20th-21st century Italian art.

Estimate  € 300 - € 400
IT
€19
DE
€10
IT
€9

Catawiki Buyer Protection

Your payment’s safe with us until you receive your object.View details

Trustpilot 4.4 | 141904 reviews

Rated Excellent on Trustpilot.

Renato Bertelli (1900–1974) after Profilo continuo del Duce, a resin sculpture with silver finish, mounted on a black lacquered wood base, overall 18 cm high, 10 cm wide, 10 cm deep, and weighing 1.2 kg, unsigned and in excellent condition.

AI-assisted summary

Description from the seller

This is a rare reproduction of the famous masterpiece from 1933 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 appear to be a bust, but a closer observer marvels at the distinctive Mussolini profile with his powerful jawline from every side of this artwork.

Hence the title 'Continuous Profile of the Duce', since the Mussolini profile is continuously recognizable (at 360 degrees) no matter which side the object is turned: the profile remains constantly visible whether to the left, to the right, in front or behind!

The ingenious design was considered (and still is) very innovative, avant-garde and progressive for that era, and it echoes similarities with a mechanical component of the machine age, which harmonized with Mussolini's self-proclaimed image as defender of the working class.

The bust, very unusual in design, was also a symbol of the "omnipresent leader who always held everything and everyone under control".

Italian art critic Marco Moretti expressed it this way: The dynamic plasticity of this Duce profile, visible from every angle, launched "without rhetoric the metaphor of a vigilant and sleepless leader who sees and protects everything."

The concept behind it is linked to the design of stop-motion photography, and this did not escape the famous photographer Robert Mapplethorpe: he created a famous artistic photo of an exemplar of this bust (see Google 'Mapplethorpe Mussolini bust').

This resin reproduction is extraordinary in appearance and quality because it is finished with a silver color finish layer and mounted on a ceramic base.

The resin bust stands 14 cm tall. It is firmly mounted on a black lacquered wooden base 4 cm tall, 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 item is shipped immediately after purchase with Track & Trace shipping, well packed.

This is a rare reproduction of the famous masterpiece from 1933 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 appear to be a bust, but a closer observer marvels at the distinctive Mussolini profile with his powerful jawline from every side of this artwork.

Hence the title 'Continuous Profile of the Duce', since the Mussolini profile is continuously recognizable (at 360 degrees) no matter which side the object is turned: the profile remains constantly visible whether to the left, to the right, in front or behind!

The ingenious design was considered (and still is) very innovative, avant-garde and progressive for that era, and it echoes similarities with a mechanical component of the machine age, which harmonized with Mussolini's self-proclaimed image as defender of the working class.

The bust, very unusual in design, was also a symbol of the "omnipresent leader who always held everything and everyone under control".

Italian art critic Marco Moretti expressed it this way: The dynamic plasticity of this Duce profile, visible from every angle, launched "without rhetoric the metaphor of a vigilant and sleepless leader who sees and protects everything."

The concept behind it is linked to the design of stop-motion photography, and this did not escape the famous photographer Robert Mapplethorpe: he created a famous artistic photo of an exemplar of this bust (see Google 'Mapplethorpe Mussolini bust').

This resin reproduction is extraordinary in appearance and quality because it is finished with a silver color finish layer and mounted on a ceramic base.

The resin bust stands 14 cm tall. It is firmly mounted on a black lacquered wooden base 4 cm tall, 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 item is shipped immediately after purchase with Track & Trace shipping, well packed.

Details

Era
1900-2000
Country of origin
Italy
Style
Realism
Material
Resin, Wood
Artist
Renato Bertelli (1900-1974) after
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
Sold by
ItalyVerified
407
Objects sold
100%
Private

Similar objects

  • ​
    ​
    ​
  • ​
    ​
    ​
  • ​
    ​
    ​
  • ​
    ​
    ​
  • ​
    ​
    ​
  • ​
    ​
    ​
  • ​
    ​
    ​
  • ​
    ​
    ​
  • ​
    ​
    ​
  • ​
    ​
    ​

For you in

Modern & Contemporary Art

  • ​
    ​
    ​
  • ​
    ​
    ​
  • ​
    ​
    ​
  • ​
    ​
    ​
  • ​
    ​
    ​
  • ​
    ​
    ​
  • ​
    ​
    ​
  • ​
    ​
    ​
  • ​
    ​
    ​
  • ​
    ​
    ​