Jan Toorop - Zonder titel - Sold

As in many of Toorop's works, in this print we see religious characters such as devoutly praying veiled women and a priest showing a chapel.

Curiously, however, we see Benito Mussolini on the right of this. Today, Mussolini is penned down on a heavy page in historiography, but in the mid-1920s his star was rising and the Italian Duce was also popular with European intellectuals and artists.

Jan Toorop was quite outspoken in his adoration for Mussolini. He saw Mussolini above all as a prophet and mystic, as a promulgator of an 'immovable faith, in whose stature the work of Our Lord became visible'. Not only did Mussolini feature in a few lithographs, Toorop also made a few portraits of him.

At his request, the Brabant priest and fascist Wouter Lutkie took two portraits to Rome in July 1927 to present them to the Duce. With the portraits pressed under his arm, he went for an audience on the 18th day of July. Mussolini was delighted with it, and gave Lutkie back a signed photo for Toorop, with the caption 'Al pittore Toorop, con grande ammirazione.'

Signed in the plate.

Lithograph pasted in passe-partout.
The lithograph format is 20 by 50.
Format passe-partout is 30 by 57.