Roger de La Fresnaye, the Cubist nobleman

Considered one of the leading figures of Cubism between the 1910s and 1920s, Roger de La Fresnaye (1885-1925) was an extraordinary interpreter of his time, so much so that Picasso included him in the shortlist of artists who could not miss the Armory Show.

The Museo d'arte Mendrisio is dedicating a major retrospective to him: the first in Switzerland and in Italian cultural circles, with an exhibition that brings together more than one hundred works from the most prestigious French and Swiss museums, including paintings, sculptures, drawings and important original publications and documents.

La Fresnaye's most important works are part of the collections of the world's major museums and at the time were exhibited in prestigious contexts such as the Salon d'Automne, the Salon des Indépendants and the Armory Show. The exhibition aims to rediscover an important figure in early 20th century art, through an exhibition itinerary that embraces his entire career: from his early Symbolist and Nabis-derived works to his extraordinary Cubist production, the dramatic experience at the front during the Great War, and the rebirth of an archaic and free figurativeness in the early 1920s. His style is characterised by elegant forms and soft, legible lines that distinguish it from the contemporary productions of Picasso, Braque or Gris, and by an uncommon expressive versatility. The exhibition allows us to explore the many facets that marked his short but dazzling career.

The exhibition follows both a chronological and thematic progression, presenting sections dedicated to the subjects dearest to him: portraits, landscapes, still lifes. His activity as an illustrator, his experience at the front and his relationship with the illness that marked his last years are also explored, highlighting his stylistic evolution and opening up new critical horizons.