Della Crocifissione di Guttuso in dialogo con il Trionfo della morte e Guernica

Abstract

This essay explores Renato Guttuso’s Crocifissione (1941) as a powerful example of expressive innovation in 20th-century painting. Situating the work within the context of Fascist Italy, it examines how Guttuso reinvents the crucifixion (using the Guernica and the Triumph od Death XIV) motif as a modern, secular symbol of political oppression and human suffering. The analysis highlights the artist’s use of expressionist techniques, dynamic composition, and fragmented bodies to evoke violence and anguish, drawing a parallel between religious imagery and contemporary atrocities. By rejecting academic traditions and embracing a politically engaged realism, Guttuso transforms a sacred theme into a universal cry against injustice.