A conspectus uf Romasnoli's art wouki he inconi- 

 plcte without mentioning' a group of seven ainiual 

 medals commemorating the years of the Fascist era.-'*' 

 His fondness for heroic figuration here found an ap- 

 propriate field for expression. Inspired In ideological 

 symbolism, he tried to glorify in these medals a spirit 

 of national exaltation. Amazint; is the inetamorpho- 



TTAi 



Fig. 125. — Fr.Al.v. iibvrrse of medal eummrinoratiiiii the fust 



anniversary oi' the Empire, year XV F.E.-"" 



(Photij IViiin A'..^) 



sis which took place; his st)lc changed completely: 

 the fine, stibtle sensitiveness flows into a bold and 

 aggressi\-e robustness. .Statuesc|ue and cold, the lit^uics 

 of these medals become merely symbols, and e\en tin- 

 busts of \'ictor Emmanuel III (fig. 125) and of 

 Mussolini, remarkable as the\ are for their excelh-nt 

 workmanship, seem to lose their human character. 

 Evidence of these nationalistic tendencies may be seen 

 in his 20-lire coin of 1928 (fig. I2()), which bears the 

 motto on the re\-ersc: "Better to li\e one d.i) as a 

 lion than a hundred years as sheep." 



RomaLjnoli is a classic example of a good artist 

 exposed to the \icissitudes of o\'erw helminu ideolouic.ii 



inlluences, which, appealiny to the versalilitv of his 

 talent, split his e^o and aercntii.ited f.iceis of his ,in 

 instead of .ijlowin^ him (he freedom to evoKi- accord- 

 ing to an interior de\ elopinent. Re^.irded in their 

 totality, Rom.igiKjli's creations |)resent such ni.uiifold 

 traits th.il soni<'limes lliey can hardly be atlribuled 

 to the same indi\idu.il. 



His art did not win un. minions .i])pro\al, which is 

 prolj.'iLily due to a rejection of its ideolot;ic,il coiueiu 

 in spite of his genuine talent. The heroic spirit 

 of ancient limes, artilicialK transplanted .ind exalted, 

 did not stir con\ iction in nian\ It.ili.in minds. .\ii- 

 cient art lias often been imitated, but ne\er have 

 traditional patterns been more boldly proclaimed as 



Fig. 126. — It.\lv, X'ictor F.mm.wi I.I IM, jo lire, i()j8-"" 

 (Div. of .XiiHiism.itiis ph(it(j) 



ollicial symbols of nation, il aspiration. .\s a resiili, 

 Romasnoli's eications were considered 1)\' these 

 critics to bi' remote, insincere, ,ind barren. His talent 

 and rich creative (ju.ilities fell \iclim to the politic. il 

 climate. 



While Romaunoli was .ser\iny the Itali.in <;o\ em- 

 inent, his contem[)orai\ , .\iirelii) .\lislrn//i "'" (d. 

 I ''(ill), chief I'linraver for die p,ipal coinaite, could 

 chiiin an e(|nall\ i^rolilie onipnt during his continuous 

 acti\it\ at the X'.ilie.in. i5orn in \'ill,iorba (Feline) 

 in bSSd, he studied in X'enice and al llie Hrer.i .\c,id- 

 ein\ in Milan before oblainiuL; .1 fellowship wlii(h 

 permitted him to coiuplele his studies ,u the .School 

 of Med.illisls in Rome. In this ( ii\ he eslablished 

 his |)erm.inent residence. From I'M'', ilurini; (he 

 Puiililicile of Henedic t W, .\uielio Mistru//i 

 winked as enuraver aiui l.iier as duel en^r.ixer ol 



=»' ,Scc illustrations, K~. pp. \2i^-]^^. 



^^^ R^Z- P- 132. medal 6. 



2™ Pacini, Mon.i,- ilahan,, i iiin 'I') V Sivs/iam-'I'isia, Cnsa 



Siirnia, coin 2211; DAVKNi-our, l'.iiiiifh,in CifUtu, coin MC). 



™o Voi.i Ml K, vol. ^, p. tm. 



PAPER 33: Fr.ALI.AN COF\ ENGR.WI.RS .SI.NCE FSdD 



n.") 



