La pittura moderna (1934) di Giorgio Castelfranco, fra estetica crociana e pensiero bergsoniano

The text focus on La Pittura Moderna, a book published by the critic Giorgio Castelfranco in 1934, regarding the modern painting from 1860s to 1930s. The book, written between 1932 and 1933, is based on two conferences performed by the author. The methodological path is a key feature in the book, that is based on the main idea of art as “intuition of life”. Castelfranco fuses together the aesthetic of Benedetto Croce, which philosophy was predominant in the Italian cultural context, with the precepts of Henri Bergson, whose ideas were not admired. The book has an international perception, particularly oriented towards France, a counter-trend from the nationalistic rhetoric diffused in Italy during Fascism. Moreover, Castelfranco analyzes the protagonists of the impressionism era, from Manet to Cézanne; as well as the avant-gardes, from Matisse to Picasso. Only three Italian artists enter the book: Modigliani, Boccioni and de Chirico, which with his unique way of transfigure reality into art starting with perception, fully represents Castelfranco's concept of contemporary art.