Gino Severini for the Montegufoni Castel and the Rosenberg's apartment

Introduction

From September 5, 2026, Galleria dello Scudo is hosting an exhibition dedicated to a selection of drawings by Gino Severini created between 1921 and 1929. These works relate to two major decorative cycles for private residences: the frescoes at the Castello di Montegufoni near Florence, and the paintings for the art dealer Léonce Rosenberg apartment in Paris. This period marked a time when Severini showed a keen interest in the masked characters of the Italian “Commedia dell’Arte”, reflecting a fascination with the circus – and the traveling performers and street artists associated with it – that had already inspired artists such as Picasso, Gris, and Rouault.

The preparatory drawings for the frescoes at the Castello di Montegufoni date back to 1921; they were commissioned by the English baron Sir George Sitwell, owner of the medieval complex located in Montespertoli, twenty kilometers from Florence. A British writer, antiquarian, and politician, Sitwell had purchased the castle – in a state of severe disrepair – in 1909 and initiated a radical restoration to return the complex to its former aspect. Through the Parisian art dealer Léonce Rosenberg, he met Severini and commissioned him to decorate the interiors of the residence, which would become his primary home starting in 1925.