An "enduring and honest friendship:" Britain and 'Modern Italian Art'

This thesis offers a comprehensive examination of the aspects that shaped the mutual cultural transmission between Italy and Britain at the turn of the twentieth century. Previous research has explored this phenomenon largely in two ways: First, by focussing on the ‘influence’ of Britain on Italian culture of the period; secondly, by investigating the reception of the Italian Old Masters within Victorian culture. In contrast, this study situates ‘Modern Italian Art’ at the core of this cultural exchange. The term was employed within the British art world of the period to distinguish the latest developments in Italian art from the Old Masters.
This thesis is arranged in two parts, which illustrate this phenomenon as a cultural dialogue. The first one investigates the aspects that enabled the encounter between ‘Modern Italian Art’ and British culture in Italy. This was instrumental in eliciting international cultural aspirations in Italian culture of the period, in response to the profound cultural provincialism that was affecting Italy in the nineteenth century. The second part examines the encounter between Britain and ‘Modern Italian Art’, focussing on its reception in British art, exhibitions, the art trade and criticism, and collecting at the turn of the twentieth century. It demonstrates that ‘Modern Italian Art’ emerged in Britain as a noteworthy modern alternative to both the Italian past and the dominant cultural powers of the period in Europe. This phenomenon was instrumental in the international recognition of ‘Modern Italian Art’, reinforcing the role of Italy as a significant modern artistic centre at the turn of the twentieth century and beyond.
In light of these aspects, this study aspires to reassess our understanding of the international status of ‘Modern Italian Art’ at the turn of the twentieth century, offering a significant contribution to the broader field of fin-de-siècle cultural internationalism.