Mario Giacomelli (1925–2000) - Mia moglie

Mario Giacomelli — Mia Moglie, 1955

An intimate portrait of Giacomelli’s wife, Mia Moglie stands at the emotional beginning of his visual autobiography. Her direct gaze, the gathered gesture of her hands and the luminous white shirt transform a private encounter into an enduring image of affection and memory. The restrained setting leaves nothing between photographer and sitter: the loved person becomes both a presence in the artist’s life and the origin of his inward-looking vision.

The photograph’s significance extends beyond its personal subject. Its publication history includes Mario Giacomelli, edited by Alistair Crawford, Phaidon, London, 2001, p. 407, a reference also documented in Finarte’s catalogue entry for Mia Moglie, 1955. It was selected as the full-cover image for Il reale immaginario di Mario Giacomelli, edited by Enzo Carli, published by Il Lavoro Editoriale (see picture)
The image was included in Mario Giacomelli. La collezione della città di Lonato del Garda, whose exhibition presentation explicitly lists Mia moglie (1955) among the works shown. It was also exhibited in Mario Giacomelli. Il fotografo e l’artista, Palazzo Esposizioni Roma, 20 May–3 August 2025, and reproduced in the accompanying catalogue, Mario Giacomelli. Opere 1954–2000, Silvana Editoriale, 2025.

This hand-signed period print brings together a deeply personal subject and an image repeatedly selected to represent Giacomelli’s work.

Work details
• Artist: Mario Giacomelli
• Title: Mia Moglie
• Image date: 1955
• Medium: Gelatin silver print
• Print date: 1960s–1968
• Signature: Hand-signed in black ink on the reverse
• Photograph dimensions: 40.5 × 30.5 cm circa
• Framed dimensions: approximately 51 × 42 cm
• Presentation: Handcrafted frame with museum glass