William Congdon e Fred Licht L’Altersstil tra pittura e riflessione critica

Abstract

Starting from a singular ‘methodological’ note from 1992 by Fred Licht on the Altersstil of American painter William Congdon and from a later art exhibition, the article sheds light on relevant aspects of the late manner of a protagonist of American Abstract Expressionism. The article suggests a possible start date on the background of a dense critical debate, spanning from Clement Greenberg to the beginning of the twenty-first century, and relying on scholars such as Giovanni Testori and Giuseppe Mazzariol. It illustrates a rare example of expressive Survival that connects two fascinating physiognomies of Congdon, an artist who disappeared and reappeared several times throughout the art history and system, and of a great scholar, recently deceased, that deserves not to be forgotten.