Ambassadors of Beauty

2025/12/17 by Matilde Cartolari · 1 voice
Arts and Humanities · Social Sciences · #Art History and Market Analysis #Decadence, Literature, and Society #Italian Fascism and Post-war Society

paper · doi:10.1515/9783111331546

openalex created_date 2025/12/17 · openalex publication_date 2025/12/17 · openalex updated_date 2026/04/26

Abstract

Italian art embodies a model of ideal beauty that is deeply rooted in western historical consciousness. In the 1930s, the Italian fascist regime appropriated this model to establish cultural-political relations with other governments. As ambassadors of fascist cultural diplomacy, iconic masterpieces of Italian art then travelled in exhibitions to London, Paris, Belgrade, and the USA. Matilde Cartolari discusses exhibitions as a point of intersection between art historiography and the art market, restoration and heritage protection, nationalism and internationalism. Her analysis sheds light on the development of Italy's fascist cultural policy from the ephemeral triumphalism of the Ethiopian campaign to the unfulfilled dream of the E42 World’s Fair.

Discussions

• 📘 New Book! Matilde Cartolari's book „Ambassadors of Beauty. Italian Old Master Exhibitions and Fascist Cultural Diplomacy 1930–1940“ has been published in the Contact Zones series by @degruyterbrill [bsky, 9 points, 1 comments]

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• Exhibiting Italian Art in the United States
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