The Futurist poet and painter Francesco Cangiullo died on this day in 1977. The Napolitano artist was born on January 27th, 1884 and was largely self-taught. He joined the Futurist movement in 1910 and took part in the important Futurist exhibition in Rome in 1914, creating art collaboratively with both Filippo Tommaso Marinetti and Giacomo Balla. Cangiullo created his best-known artwork in 1915; in Café-Concert: Unexpected Alphabet he playfully portrays a lively evening at the theater in his hometown of Naples in which the singers, dancers, acrobats, and comedians are composed of letters, numbers, and mathematical sings. In 1924 he distanced himself form the Futurists, but still continued a friendship with Marinetti. Fondly reminiscing on his experiences with the art movement, Cangiullo published Futurist Evenings recounting his memories with the group.
Café-Concert: Unexpected Alphabet published in Poesia, 1919
Firework Song, published in La Balza 1, April 10, 1915
Large Crowd in the Piazza del Popolo (Grande folla in Piazza del Popolo), 1914, Guggenheim Collection.