Edoardo Persico

Edoardo Persico (1900, Naples - January 1936, Milan) was an Italian art critic, designer and essayist.

Biography

Persico was born in Naples, where he attended high school. In 1920, he journeyed to Paris to study law. The following year he abandoned his studies and dedicated himself to his interest in art and literary publishing. In 1923 his philosophical tale "The city and the people of today" was published by the Quattrini of Florence. A friend of Piero Gobetti, who contributed to the magazines The Liberal Revolution and Baretti, he moved to Turin in 1926 where he endured painful hardship working as a laborer at Fiat.

He eventually founded his own publishing house. In 1929 he moved to Milan, where he worked on Pier Maria Bardi's magazine Belvedere and around 1930 he founded the Million Gallery which brought artists like Klee, Kandinsky, Arp and Gris to Italy for the first time. In 1931 he moved to the home decoration journal La Casa Bella which he transformed into Casabella alongside Istrian architect Giuseppe Pagano. He was called to teach at ISIA, innovative school at Monza for applied art.

Since 1934 he turned his interest to architecture, he joined the Rationalist movement, created furniture and interior fittings for exhibitions. His most important works were in collaboration with artist Marcello Nizzoli and include Gold Medallion Room of the Aeronautics Exhibition (1934) and the Hall of Honour for the 1936 Milan Triennale, completed after his death.

Persico was found dead in his home in January 1936 at 35 years old.

Artist relationships and influence

Persico was one of the first art journalists to cover the works of Francesco De Rocchi extensively.

Persico supported a group of artists who would be known as the "Six of Turin".