Mario Giacomelli (1925–2000) - Dalla serie “ Verrà la morte e avrà i tuoi occhi “

Mario Giacomelli — Verrà la morte e avrà i tuoi occhi

An image of iconic intensity, distinguished in this example by the artist’s handwritten signature and personal dedication. From Verrà la morte e avrà i tuoi occhi, the photograph holds the viewer between the gravity of time and the unexpected lightness of life. Its impact is immediate; its emotional resonance deepens with every encounter.
Here, darkness becomes a space of contemplation rather than absence. A fleeting movement of light interrupts the stillness, allowing vulnerability and vitality to coexist. The photograph offers neither reassurance nor resignation. It preserves that delicate instant in which the awareness of mortality makes life seem more intensely present.

The image’s publication and exhibition history includes:
• Mario Giacomelli. Against Time, Fotomuseum WestLicht, Vienna, 26 June–9 August 2015, curated by Rebekka Reuter and Fabian Knierim; reproduced in Marcus Bunyan’s accompanying coverage on Art Blart, published on 18 July 2015.

• Mario Giacomelli: verrà la morte e avrà i tuoi occhi, an essay by Mauro Zanchi, published by Doppiozero on 20 April 2017, where the photograph is reproduced and discussed.

What distinguishes this particular print is the personal gesture preserved on its reverse. Alongside the artist’s handwritten signature, his stamp and the stamped series title appears the dedication:
“Riconoscente a Danilo da Mario Giacomelli”
“With gratitude to Danilo, from Mario Giacomelli.”

These words give the work a second, intimate life. A photograph concerned with human presence becomes itself an expression of connection: an image offered with gratitude to a named recipient. The dedication individualises the print, bringing the public history of the composition into contact with a private gesture.
For the collector, the distinction is compelling. Acquiring the image is one thing; acquiring an example personally signed and dedicated by its maker is another. This print brings together visual poetry, documented publication and exhibition, and the intimacy of the artist’s own inscription.

Presented in a black frame with a white mount and museum glass, it offers a striking focal point for a carefully considered collection of Giacomelli’s photographs.

Details
Mario Giacomelli — From the series Verrà la morte e avrà i tuoi occhi
Black-and-white photographic print
Hand-signed by the artist on the reverse
Photographer’s stamp and stamped series title on the reverse
Personal handwritten dedication: “Riconoscente a Danilo da Mario Giacomelli”
Photograph: 37 × 28.5 cm
Framed dimensions: 51 × 41.5 cm
Black frame with white mount and museum glass