Stanislao Lepri and the World of the "Wikipedia Hole"

"I'm on a mailing list and..." that could be the start of any number of posts. Somehow, I get on email lists that annoy me and I have to leave. Then every now and then I get on a list and I don't know why. 

Today that message that lead me into a wikipedia hole was titled "New from Independent 20th Century Features".

At first I assumed that 20th Century Fox had, after being acquired by the Disney Entertainment juggernaut, spun off a boutique film house. But now, it has no relationship to 20th Century Fox. I know I lived in LA too long.

But, I  checked and it turns out the mail is promoting an art fair that occurs Sept 8 - 10th in New York. That isn't great for me given the US Open is going then, and I have friends coming to see it.

Anyway, one of the big artists being shown is someone I never heard of, Stanislao Lepri. A contempory-ish Italian surrealist painter. And then you investigate Stanislao because his work is interesting and I think I want to see the show.

Here is where the wikipedia entries take one down a rabbit hole.

First, Stanislao was born to "black nobility" - a group of nobles that did not want the unification of Italy. This caused me to read about the Italy unification, but more about later.

Second, early in his life Stanislao Lepri the Ambassador to Monaco. Then, in 1942 in Monaco he saw a woman at the theater and was entranced, Leonor Fini. Remember this was in 1942, which was during the war and so he was a representative of Mussolini. I have nothing more than that, I just found it interesting.

Anywho, Stanislao leaves his Ambassadorship, Monaco and Italy - Leonor Fini leaves her husband, and together they move to Paris. And Stanislao focuses on his art and painting. He is (as you see) a surrealist.

Leonor Fini is unorthodox to say the least. You should read about her, it is crazy. 

Ten years after she and Stanislao move to Pairs, in 1952 Leonor meets Polish writer Konstanty Jeleński. She was "delighted to discover that he was the illegitimate half-brother of Sforzino Sforza, who had been one of her favorite lovers". 

Konstanty joined Leonor and Stanislao in their Paris apartment, their lives and their bed in October 1952. The three remained inseparable until their deaths. Like a thruple (with occasional extras) they lived from 1952 - 1980 together until Stanislao dies. Then Leonor and Konstanty live together until he dies in 1987. She lives another nine years.

Anywho, this show is about Lepri's work. And it is cool.

That is when I realize I have drifted far from Stanislao Lepri's art. But it is cool.