All About Berenson

Michele Dantini’s essay, included in Electa’s Pesci d’Oro series, is a tribute to Bernard Berenson, one of the key figures in 20th-century art history. Through a careful analysis, Dantini highlights lesser-known and often overlooked aspects of Berenson, such as his activist commitment to contemporary art and his role in shaping modernist taste. The book moves across various levels, weaving a complex and compelling portrait that reintegrates Berenson into the Italian and European cultural context, addressing many ideological omissions and amnesias that have obscured him over time.
The inclusion of an anthology of texts, featuring unpublished writings by Berenson and other key figures such as Matisse, Picasso, Longhi, and Croce, further enriches the volume, offering a vivid and nuanced overview of his influences and relationships. Dantini also emphasizes Berenson’s relationship with prominent figures like Gaetano Salvemini, with whom he shared a particular interest in Italian art and culture, strengthening his connection to the Italian intellectual world. Moreover, the essay highlights Berenson’s role during the interwar period, within the antifascist context and during the Resistance, underlining how he helped to define an Italian cultural identity rooted in national heritage and legacy. Michele Dantini succeeds in making this portrait even more engaging and thorough. A book that also invites further research and contributions, consolidating Berenson’s image as an activist critic and a bridge between past and present