Gino Severini: The Life of a Painter (1995)

In 1906 the Italian Futurist painter Gino Severini arrived in Paris’s Montparnasse with no money, no name, and no acquaintances, only to become a key protagonist in the artistic and literary circles that would spearhead the Modernist movement. His autobiography from this period, translated for the first time into English, tells the story of the Parisian art world he knew so well, and offers an account of the individuals and ideas that created Modernism. Here we encounter painters and sculptors such as Picasso, Matisse, Braque, Modigliani, Gris, Arp, Lipschitz, Leger, Duty, and De Chirico; literary figures such as Apollinaire, Marinetti, Paul Fort, Breton, Gide, Cocteau, Reverdy, Jarry; and also the philosopher and writer Maritain, composers Satie and Stravinsky, and the impresario of the Ballets Russes, Sergei Diaghilev. Severini met them in the studios, galleries, and cafes of Montmartre and Montparnasse, and re-creates the passionate debates that animated those gatherings. We witness not only the maturing of Severini’s art and aesthetic theory but also the intellectual and political turbulence that surrounded the emergence of Cubism, Constructivism, Dadaism, Surrealism, Futurism, and Metaphysical painting. Beginning with a description of his financially ill-fated family in Tuscany, Severini goes on to describe the triumphs and mistakes of his adolescence and the Roman art scene, where he fraternised with Balla and Boccioni. His down-to-earth tone pervades his anecdotes and assessments of the Italian and Parisian art world, enabling a casual reader to grasp the many issues at stake. As Severini’s status as an important Futurist painter gains widespread recognition, this autobiography serves as a resource for critics and an account for anyone interested in learning more about this artist who lived at one of the richest crossroads in the history of Western culture.