The exhibition The Dancing Faun: Art, Fashion, Dance at the Paolo and Carolina Zani Foundation House Museum in Cellatica (Brescia) weaves a captivating dialogue between sculpture, haute couture, and dance. Curated by Massimiliano Capella and Cristina Maritano, with contributions from Giovanni Carlo Federico Villa and Mario Brancati, the show celebrates the intersection of baroque art and fashion through the unifying theme of dance. At its core, four sculptural versions of the Dancing Faun are displayed alongside iconic stage costumes designed by legendary artists and couturiers, from Pablo Picasso to Roberto Capucci, worn by ballet luminaries such as Carla Fracci, Roberto Bolle, and Rudolf Nureyev.
In the temporary exhibition space, the Dancing Faun (ca. 1748) from Turin’s Palazzo Madama takes center stage. Crafted in hard-paste porcelain by the Ginori Manufactory in Doccia, founded in 1737 by Marquis Carlo Ginori, the sculpture is modeled after a 1st-century BC Roman marble housed in the Uffizi’s Tribuna, itself a replica of a 2nd-century BC Hellenistic original. Composed of separately molded, fired, and glazed parts, with joints concealed by elements like bracelets or leafy garlands, the work reflects the 18th-century fascination with antiquity and the Medici collections’ preservation efforts.
Complementing the sculptures, the exhibition features a selection of stage costumes from the archives of Mario Brancati and the Italian Fashion and Costume Company in Milan. These sartorial masterpieces, worn by stars like Carla Fracci, Rudolf Nureyev, Roberto Bolle, Alessandra Ferri, Gheorghe Iancu, and Denis Ganio, were designed by renowned artists and couturiers. Highlights include Léon Bakst’s costumes for L’Aprиs-midi d’un faune (1983), worn by Fracci and Iancu, and Roberto Capucci’s designs for Romeo and Juliet (1986) at the Verona Arena. The display also showcases Pablo Picasso’s costume for Parade, worn by Denis Ganio, and Elena Mola’s creation for Roberto Bolle as Louis XIV in Le Roi Soleil. Other notable pieces include costumes by Ezio Frigerio, Mauro Pagano, Luisa Spinatelli, Carlo Savi, Pierluigi Samaritani, and Roberta Guidi di Bagno, worn by Fracci, Nureyev, and Ferri in iconic productions like The Firebird, Nijinsky, and Onegin.
This exhibition masterfully blends the elegance of baroque sculpture, the artistry of haute couture, and the vitality of dance, celebrating a timeless legacy that spans eras and disciplines.
