Private Shrines: Domestic Experiences of Surrealism in Three Italian Interiors from the Early 1970s

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of private spaces. As a result, the link between Surrealism and domesticity has gained new relevance. In this essay, Di Domenico explores the impact of surrealist artworks exhibited inside collectors' homes focusing on three case studies: three Italian rooms from the early 1970s featuring artworks by Man Ray and René Magritte. Photographs of these rooms were featured in popular art and interior design magazines such as Domus, Casa Vogue, and BolaffiArte. By analyzing how surrealist artworks functioned within the bathroom of the Agnelli family, the "playroom" of actress Sophia Loren, and the bedroom of gallery owner Luciano Anselmino, the author examines the impact of surrealist works in domestic settings, the role of gender dynamics in the construction of personal identity through collecting, the reception of Surrealism in Italy, and its relationship with interior and product design. By delving into the biographies of the collectors, he offers insights into the role, function, and significance of the surrealist artworks they chose to display in their most intimate spaces: their private shrines.