PORTRAITS OF THE 20TH CENTURY. The Collections of the Bottari Lattes Foundation and Beyond. From Felice Casorati to Carol Rama
Curated by Francesco Poli
Portraits of the 20th Century. The Collections of the Bottari Lattes Foundation and Beyond: starting from March 29, 2026, the exhibition rooms of the Bottari Lattes Foundation in Monforte d’Alba will be inhabited by both real and imaginary faces, with over fifty works including pieces by Mario Lattes and others from his collections, presented in dialogue with some of the most important masters of the 20th century. The exhibition is curated by Francesco Poli.
In his vast and multifaceted artistic practice—marked by refined literary suggestions as well as unsettling fantastic and surreal visions—Mario Lattes consistently nurtured a deep interest in portraiture, never interpreted in a merely conventional way. His portraits are drawn and painted with incisive attention to individual identity, ranging from intimate representations of family members to powerfully expressionist and visionary interpretations.
The exhibition devotes special focus to his numerous self-portraits, through which the artist appears to delve deeply into his own complex psychological and existential dimension. Alongside a selection of Lattes’ works, the exhibition also presents portraits from the Bottari Lattes Foundation’s collection.
A further section is dedicated to portraits and self-portraits by painters and sculptors with whom Lattes maintained relationships and artistic exchanges within the cultural environment of his generation. The selection includes works by painters such as Mario Reviglione, Felice Casorati, Jessie Boswell, Carlo Levi, Francesco Menzio, Daphne Maugham, Nella Marchesini, Italo Cremona, Luigi Spazzapan, Mario Calandri, and Carol Rama; as well as sculptures by Giacomo Manzù, Umberto Mastroianni, Sandro Cherchi, and Mario Giansone.
On the occasion of this exhibition, the collaboration between the Bottari Lattes Foundation and the Ente Fiera di Alba is renewed, with the show featured within the cultural program of Vinum Alba 2026, the international wine fair of Piedmont. Portraits of the 20th Century. The Collections of the Bottari Lattes Foundation and Beyond is organized with the contribution of Regione Piemonte; with the support of Vinum Alba – International Wine Fair of Piedmont, and under the patronage of the Municipality of Monforte d’Alba, the Union of the Municipalities of the Langhe and Barolo Hills, and Confindustria Cuneo. Insurance Partner: Italiana Assicurazioni (Alba Mondovì – Sciolla Agency).
Mario Lattes
Mario Lattes (Turin, 1923–2001), painter, writer and publisher, was a prominent figure in the cultural life of Turin in the second half of the 20th century. During the war, he escaped racial laws by taking refuge in Rome and Rieti, later joining Allied troops as an interpreter. He returned to Turin—his beloved and hated city—in 1945.
After World War II he directed Lattes Editori, founded in 1893 by his grandfather Simone Lattes.
He wrote and illustrated for major cultural journals of the time, and in 1953 founded the magazine Galleria, later renamed Questioni, becoming an influential voice in the cultural scene well beyond the local context.
Between 1958 and 1985 he wrote several novels, short stories, poems, and his university thesis The Warsaw Ghetto, later collected in the critical edition Opere published by Olschki.
His first solo exhibition took place in 1947 at La Bussola Gallery in Turin, already reflecting the artistic experiences developed during his time in Lazio—experiences he would cultivate throughout his life as both artist and collector.
Until the late 1990s he held solo shows in Turin, Rome, Milan, Florence and Bologna, and successfully participated in two editions of the Venice Biennale, as well as the Turin and Rome Quadriennale and numerous group exhibitions.
Francesco Poli
Francesco Poli is an art historian and critic. He has taught Contemporary Art History at the Brera Academy and at Université Paris 8. His publications include numerous essays on modern and contemporary art, such as: La Metafisica; Minimalismo, Arte Povera, Arte Concettuale; Il sistema dell’arte contemporanea; Arte moderna. Dal postimpressionismo all’informale; Arte contemporanea. Le ricerche internazionali dalla fine degli anni ’50 ad oggi; La Scultura del Novecento; Mettere in scena l’arte contemporanea (with F. Bernardelli); Il pittore solitario. Seurat e la Parigi moderna; L’ironia è una cosa seria.
He contributes to La Stampa and various specialized magazines, and has curated numerous exhibitions in museums and public and private institutions.
The Bottari Lattes Foundation
The Bottari Lattes Foundation was established in 2009 in Monforte d’Alba (Cuneo) by Caterina Bottari Lattes. Its mission is to promote culture and the arts, and to enhance the legacy of Mario Lattes (1923–2001) in his multifaceted role as painter, writer, publisher, and cultural promoter.
Lattes was a lucid and nonconformist observer, an artist of international scope who played a key role in introducing important foreign painters and writers to Italy.
He was also director of the family publishing house—founded by his grandfather in 1893 and long considered a cornerstone of Italian education. Among its educational publications was the anthology La biblioteca illustrata, featuring illustrations by Mario Lattes for middle school students.
The Foundation is a non-profit organization that develops research and cultural projects, independently or in partnership with other institutions, and organizes exhibitions and cultural events.
Key activities include the Lattes Grinzane International Literary Prize, the Mario Lattes Biennial Translation Prize, art and photography exhibitions, school programs such as Vivolibro, and conferences.
The Foundation’s headquarters (Via Marconi 16, Monforte d’Alba) houses the Mario Lattes Library, the Archive of Mario Lattes’ papers and other documentary collections, and the Mario and Caterina Lattes art gallery—part of the network of Piedmontese cultural institutions.
In 2017, the City of Turin’s Presidency of the City Council named the public gardens in Piazza Maria Teresa after Mario Lattes, recognizing his significant cultural contributions to the city.
In 2023, marking the centenary of his birth, the Foundation celebrated the anniversary with publications, two exhibitions, and several events dedicated to him, highlighting the many facets of this remarkable Turin-based artist.
Visitor Information
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