Who’s Afraid of Drawing?

20th Century Italian Works on Paper

From Boccioni to Boetti, Futurism to Arte Povera, this exhibition charts the development of Italian art over the course of the 20th century by focusing on the medium of drawing. With more than 100 works on show, the exhibition considers how drawing has enabled new explorations of both figuration and abstraction, as well as the relationship between word and image, and image and sculpture. With its tongue-in-cheek title, it asks why works on paper have historically not received the same critical attention as other mediums.

The works are drawn from the Ramo Collection, a significant Milanese collection of some 600 works on paper. This is the first time they have been shown in public, and the exhibition coincides with the publication of the Ramo’s catalogue raisonné. After it closes in Milan, the exhibition will travel to the Estorick Collection of Modern Italian Art in London from 17 April–13 June. Find out more from the Museo del Novecento’s website.

Preview the exhibition below | See Apollo’s Picks of the Week here