The Autobiographical Act as a Strategy: The case of Italian painters in the first half of the 20th century

Abstract

The autobiographical act is part of a strategy used by modern artists as a way of ensuring that their version of events is preserved and judged in the future. For such a strategy to be successful, they must establish a relationship of trust with their readers, so that they can guarantee that their version of the facts is considered the most coherent and true. With this article, we propose to discuss some aspects of the autobiographical writings of four Italian painters: Carlo Carrà (La Mia Vita, 1943), Gino Severini (Tutta la vita di un pittore, 1946), Massimo Campigli (Scrupoli, 1955) and Giorgio De Chirico (Memorie della mia vita, 1960), bringing to light points of convergence and divergence between them. The choice of the four artists was guided by their performance during the fascist period, by the relevance established with relevant associations, such as: Futurism, Metaphysical Painting, Mural Painting and the "Italians of Paris" and by their activities as art theorists.