Renato Guttuso, Massacre (detail), 1943
© DACS 2010
Against Mussolini
Art and the Fall of a Dictator

22 September –
19 December 2010

Whilst several major exhibitions have been devoted to exploring the propaganda imagery of Fascist Italy, art produced by those hostile to the regime has perhaps received less attention. This exhibition brings together works produced in Italy and abroad in the aftermath of Mussolini's initial fall from power in 1943 and throughout the period of civil war and resistance, chronicling the demise of a personality cult. Many reflect a demonisation of the man who had been hailed as a demigod, while others represent meditations on the tragedy of the Nazi occupation and civil war. Together they offer a unique insight into the way the visual arts responded to a period of transition that remains controversial today.