In the first decades of the twentieth century, European art underwent a period of profound structural and philosophical change. As it sought relevance in this creative landscape, Italy found itself in a complicated position. Many of the radical aesthetic ideas coming out of Paris, Germany, and the Soviet Union struggled for legitimacy in a country that remained steeped in history and deeply attached to an artistic legacy that had been admired for centuries. Italian modernism thus took shape in the context of a constant dialog between the demands of historical continuity and the influx of new ideas from abroad. This talk with introduce some of the major changes that emerged in early twentieth century European art, with special emphasis on how Italy’s most progressive artists negotiated this space.

Mary Ann Calo, Batza Professor, Emerita, joined the Colgate University faculty in 1991 as a member of the Department of Art and History. During her 25 years at Colgate, Prof. Calo taught courses on modern and contemporary art history, the arts and public policy, and American art. She also served as Chair of the Art and Art History Department, Associate Dean of the Faculty, Director of the Institute for the Creative and Performing Arts, and Director of the Division of Arts and Humanities. Calo spent many years living and working in Italy, initially as a student and then later as a professor, serving several times as a visiting professor of modern art at Syracuse University in Florence. Since retirement, Calo has led academic tours focused on modern art for the Smithsonian (France) and for Colgate alumni groups (Italy).