Renato Bertelli (1900-1974) after - Profilo continuo del Duce

This is a rare reproduction of the famous 1933 masterpiece titled 'Profilo Continuo del Duce' designed by the Italian artist Renato Bertelli (1900 - 1974), who was an important representative of the modern art movement of Futurism, which gained momentum during Mussolini's regime. At first glance, this may not seem like a bust, but a closer look reveals with wonder, from every side of this artwork, the characteristic profile of Mussolini with his powerful jawline. Hence the title 'Profilo continuo del Duce,' as one can continually recognize (360 degrees) Mussolini’s profile, no matter which side the object is turned: the profile remains visible from the left, the right, the front, and the back! The genius design was considered (and still is) very innovative, avant-garde, and progressive for that era, and it recalls similarities with a mechanical component from the machine age, which harmonized with Mussolini's self-styled image as defender of the working class. De buste, molto insolita nel design, was also a symbol of the 'omnipresent leader who always kept everything and everyone under control'. The Italian art critic Marco Moretti expressed it this way: 'The dynamic plasticity of this profile of the Duce, visible from every point, launched—without rhetoric—the metaphor of a vigilant and sleepless leader who sees and protects everything.' The concept here is tied to the design of stop-motion photography, and this did not escape even the famous photographer Robert Mapplethorpe: he created a famous artistic photograph of a specimen of this bust (see Google 'Mapplethorpe Mussolini bust'). This resin reproduction is extraordinary in appearance and quality because it is finished with a silver-colored finish layer and mounted on a ceramic base. The resin bust stands 14 cm tall and is firmly mounted on a black lacquered wooden base 4 cm high, and the entire object (the two parts together) measures 18 cm in height, 10 cm in width, and 10 cm in depth, weighing 1.2 kilograms. The item ships immediately after purchase with Track & Trace shipping, well packaged.

Estimate:£254.16

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