FOR A YOUNG HOME

12 Mar FOR A YOUNG HOME

Who said that a fresco cannot stay in a minimal or contemporary home?

Not at all. Young people really like frescoes because they love playing with contaminations and know it can be interesting to decorate a home with different styles and languages that, as a whole, express their way of living.

The interior of a private villa: the walls are decorated by two Klimt frescoes

Of course, they have their favourites. Let’s say that the most popular frescoes are those in the Liberty and Tiffany styles: portraits of movie stars such as Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe, pieces that evoke the imagination of fifties and sixties legends, but also more complex works, such as those by Klimt or Leonardo. To learn more, I had a chat with Alberto Mariani, co-owner of Mariani Affreschi together with Laura and Alessandro.

What do young people think about fresco paintings?

Until a few years ago, customers perceived the fresco as a “classic” product. But now, the search for new subjects and the introduction of more contemporary styles have won over those who prefer a more modern style.

The beautiful Marilyn Monroe in a fresco by Mariani

What can one of your frescoes give to a modern home?

Whether a fresco is classic or modern, depending on the choice of the young people (for artistic or decorative purposes), a fresco can add warmth to a modern home without in any way upsetting the basic lines desired by the architect.

The fresco is an absolutely natural technique: in the colours, shadings and chromatic emphases. That’s why a fresco, whether classic or modern, goes perfectly in a contemporary setting. Without neglecting the fact that the style of a home must, first of all, harmonise with those who live in it.

The interiors of a modern home: hanging on the right wall is a fresco of Leonardo’s “Vitruvian Man”

Therefore, one can also take a risk?

It should be remembered that the greatest satisfactions have come from young people who have made courageous choices, who have mixed styles and were not afraid to insert a classic piece in a modern setting, thus obtaining original and surprising results.

Even the most diehard advocates of minimalism understand that the strength of colour and artistic beauty in absolute terms does not destabilise modern lines or criteria, but in actual fact, enhance their originality.

M.Z.