Woman on a Balcony 1914

Alberto Magnelli made this painting, Woman on a Balcony, using oil on canvas. Magnelli's personal story is interesting, since he began as an autodidact. This work is a great example of the second phase of his artistic career, around the 1910s, when he moved away from his earlier Fauvist style and began to explore abstract and geometric forms. We can see echoes of Cubism, but Magnelli develops his own visual language, using bold colours and simplified shapes to create a sense of depth and movement. Magnelli was part of a generation of artists who were questioning the traditional role of art in society. They wanted to create art that was more accessible, more democratic, and more engaged with the social and political issues of their time. Studying his drawings, notebooks and letters help us understand the role of art in modern society.