Nel segno di Cambellotti. Virgilio Retrosi artista e artigiano

In the sign of Cambellotti. Virgilio Retrosi artist and craftsman
A friend and pupil of Duilio Cambellotti, Virgilio Retrosi made his debut as a ceramist in 1911 by exhibiting at the Agro Romano Exhibition curated by Cambellotti himself as part of the International Exhibition for the celebrations of the unification of the Kingdom of Italy and the proclamation of Rome as capital city.
The artist's activity in the field of ceramics developed through his collaboration with the master and his students, including Roberto Rosati and Romeo Berardi.
In 1926, at the annual exhibition of the Amatori e Cultori d'Arte, Retrosi exhibited the series of plates with the 14 Rioni, purchased that same year by the City of Roma for its collections.
At the same time as his activity as a ceramist and decorator, Retrosi devoted himself to applied graphics, teaching at the Scuola Preparatoria delle Arti Ornamentali in Roma, producing sketches for postage stamps, posters and postcards and starting a fruitful collaboration with ENIT (Ente Nazionale Italiano per il Turismo), a commitment that absorbed him totally as a graphic designer and photographer from the mid-1930s to the 1960s.
The exhibition at the Casina delle Civette's Dipendenza exhibits ceramic objects as well as numerous drawings, sketches and graphic works that testify to his closeness to the language of the master, highlighting, along with his strong ties to tradition, his innovative contribution in the various fields of applied arts.
The exhibition also features a rich nucleus of previously unpublished works from private collections, which will make it possible to compare the design sketches with some of the works realised.
Poster sketches, posters and covers testify to the versatility, imagination and special graphic quality of his sign.
During the exhibition, educational workshops are planned for schools and families, dedicated to the preparatory phase aimed at the creation of ceramic artefacts, with in-depth studies of the different techniques used: graphite and coloured pastels, Indian ink, watercolour and tempera.

The exhibition catalogue, edited by the Sovrintendenza Capitolina with texts by Gaia Dammacco, Gloria Raimondi and Francesco Tetro is published by Gangemi Editore.