FAI – Fondo Ambiente italiano,
under the patronage of the Italian Cultural Institute in Haifa,
presents
GHITTA CARELL | PORTRAITS OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY
An exhibition curated by Roberto Dulio
From May 14 to October 12, 2025
Villa Necchi Campiglio – Via Mozart 14, Milan
FAI – The National Trust for Italy (ETS) presents a refined and compelling exhibition dedicated to Ghitta Carell (1899–1972), set within the evocative spaces of Villa Necchi Campiglio in Milan. A tribute to one of the most celebrated portrait photographers of twentieth-century Italy—now almost forgotten, yet once sought after by aristocrats, intellectuals, and leading figures of both Italian and international culture.
Her portraits—crisp, profound, and elegant—not only pay homage to the personalities of her time but also capture their essence, composing a visual gallery that gracefully and precisely traces the course of the past century.
An intimate, narrative display
Curated by Roberto Dulio, the exhibition brings together over one hundred works, including original photographs, letters, books, postcards, and archival materials. Also on display, for the first time, is Carell’s photographic equipment.
The photographs are not arranged in a conventional manner: instead, they are integrated into the villa’s original furnishings, as though they had always belonged there. This approach recreates the authentic atmosphere of a lived-in home and offers an intimate glimpse into the public and private lives of the twentieth-century elite.
Particularly significant are the portraits of Piero Portaluppi, the villa’s architect; the sisters Nedda and Gigina Necchi, its owners and benefactors of FAI; and the young Giulia Maria Crespi, founder of the Trust, shown alongside her mother.
The life and legacy of Ghitta Carell
Born in Hungary to a Jewish family, Ghitta Carell—née Ghitta Klein—arrived in Italy in 1924. Here, she found fame, embracing a new name and a new homeland. Her rising career was abruptly halted by the racial laws of 1938: though not directly persecuted, her artistic identity was silenced. She spent the war years in hiding between Rome and Milan, and in 1969 moved to Haifa, where she died in 1972. Part of her archive is preserved at the Italian Cultural Institute in Haifa, which proudly sponsors the exhibition.
Publications
The exhibition is accompanied by two essential volumes, both edited by Roberto Dulio:
– Un ritratto mondano. Fotografie di Ghitta Carell (Johan & Levi, 2013)
– Ghitta Carell’s Portraits (Five Continents, 2024 | English and Hebrew Edition), published with the support of the Italian Cultural Institutes in Haifa and in Tel Aviv, where it can be collected, after completing this BOOKING FORM.
These works have renewed the critical perspective on the artist, freeing it from ideological or superficial interpretations.
Call for Portraits
FAI also launches a Call for Portraits: a public initiative through social media and digital channels to locate Ghitta Carell portraits still held in private collections.
Anyone who owns one of her works is invited to write to: 📩 mostraghittacarell@fondoambiente.it. Submissions will be accepted until October 3, 2025. Selected photographs may be included in the exhibition.