An illustrated talk by Martin Greig
8th October 2026 at 19:15 at Fountainhall Church Centre, 1 Beaconsfield Place, Aberdeen AB15 4AB
Giovanni Fattori “Signora Martelli a Castiglioncello” (1867)
For over a century-from the 1850s to the 1970s-Italian artists were central to the modern avant-garde. This talk explores how homegrown revolutionary movements – the Macchiaioli, Futurism, Arte Povera – remained at the forefront of global artistic innovation. Blending technical ingenuity with aesthetic radicalism, these artists created entirely new visual languages for an emerging nation, and for the world. Their artwork articulates the popular struggle for freedom and rights. The Macchiaioli were cultural rebels driven by the democratic ideals of unification, Futurists aggressively championed the dynamism of industrialisation. Decades later, Arte Povera challenged the complex postwar disillusionment and burgeoning consumerism of the First Republic. Ultimately, Italy’s modern art pioneers did not just reflect a shifting society-they actively shaped it, providing vital cosmopolitan leadership on the international stage.
Aberdeen Italian Circle 