Doppio 1952

Atanasio Soldati created this abstract painting, Doppio, with oil on canvas, but its date is unknown. Soldati was an Italian artist who moved through a variety of styles in the first half of the 20th century. Here, the composition divides into two distinct halves, each a playground of geometric forms, exploring abstraction, while retaining a sense of structure. Looking closely, you can see the suggestion of a classical temple in the upper-middle ground, juxtaposed with more avant-garde shapes and colors. This blending of tradition and modernity might reflect Soldati’s position in a rapidly changing Italy, between the wars, when artists were reckoning with historical artistic legacies, and also the rise of new social and political ideologies. Understanding such an artwork means we must delve into Italian art history, tracing the influence of classicism, and examining the socio-political context in which it was created. It means considering how the institutions of art shaped its production and reception, and what the painting might say about the complex, shifting identity of a nation.