When speaking of the Wulz family—photographers in Trieste for generations and creative witnesses to the city’s intellectual ferment since the mid-19th century—one cannot help but think of a close-knit clan, whose studio became a crossroads of ideas, trends, and artistic movements that were in vogue at the time.But let’s start from the beginning, weaving together the threads of the intellectual constellations the Wulz family shared with thinkers and photographers of the era. The patriarch of the family, Giuseppe Wulz, born in 1843, had been a student of Friedrich Wilhelm Engel, one of Trieste’s great photographers, who, due to various circumstances, would end his career in the city of Vienna. Let us keep Vienna in mind, as the influences it had on the Wulz ancestors will be significant, albeit difficult to document.
Carlo Wulz, “Marion e Wanda Wulz”, Trieste, 1927, Firenze, courtesy Archivi Alinari-Archivio Studio Wulz
Giuseppe Wulz specialized in portrait photography inspired by photographic romanticism, but he also showed a marked talent for aerial views and for capturing the hills surrounding the city. The studio Giuseppe opened in 1891, after parting ways with his mentor Engel, was located in the Hierschel Palace in the center of Trieste and is masterfully represented in one of his photographs on display in the exhibition. Giuseppe’s work would be continued by his son Carlo when the father decided to retire due to health issues. Carlo had a more political and less bucolic vision than his father: he focused on group portraits of various social categories and established the Wulz studio as a well-known artistic and cultural hub in the city. Through his photography, he documented the industrial development of the period leading up to the First World War, further amplifying the Wulz name in the field of photography. After Carlo Wulz’s death, the studio’s activity was carried on by his daughters Wanda and Marion until 1981.
Marion Wulz, “Wanda Wulz”, Trieste, ca. 1930, Firenze, courtesy Archivi Alinari-Archivio Studio Wulz
The Wulz family, the city of Trieste, and the important archive preserved at the Alinari Foundation in Florence are the focus of an exhibition open until April 27, 2025, titled Fotografia Wulz. Trieste, la famiglia, l’atelier, part of the Go!2025&Friends program. The idea of dedicating an exhibition to them is truly successful, especially considering the vastness of the collection held by the Alinari Foundation—also available online—which clearly shows how portraiture, as interpreted over the years by the various Wulz photographers, has captured the passage of fashions and eras, following their curves in an original and harmonious way, in step with the artistic movements of the time. What makes the exhibition particularly compelling is the focus on the last generation of photographers: independent, intellectual women who were at the heart of their era’s artistic ferment. Wanda and Marion Wulz ran the studio together. Wanda, in particular, was celebrated as the only female photographer associated with Italian Futurism at the famous exhibition held in Trieste in 1932—but their work goes far beyond that. The Wulz studio attracted important figures from the cultural scene of the time. Among them was a young Leonor Fini, photographed by Wanda, who later arrived in New York in 1936 and made a name for herself on the international art scene through her collaboration with the Julien Levy Gallery. Though she did not settle in the United States, her presence was impactful: she brought the European surrealist imagination overseas, captivating the American public with a visionary, cultured, and deeply unconventional style of painting.
Giuseppe Wulz, “Il Palazzo Municipale in un giorno di mercato”, Trieste, ca. 1876, Firenze, courtesy Archivi Alinari-Archivio Studio Wulz
Wanda, for her part, actively participated in the Futurist movement, drawing inspiration from intellectuals such as Prampolini and Crali. She infused her photographs—especially her self-portraits—with the concept of movement that was central to this artistic current. Wanda’s images are bold and dreamlike, surreal, as in the famous Io + gatto (1932), in which, through double exposure, she superimposes her own image with that of her cat. Clear influences can be seen from figures like Man Ray, who frequently used photographic superimpositions, as well as parallels with photographers such as Claude Cahun, Dora Maar, and Hoyningen-Huene. While Cahun’s work is more explicitly tied to gender identity, both she and Wanda used cross-dressing as a fundamental means of self-expression. Wanda often portrayed herself wearing oversized motorcyclist goggles, implicitly evoking the sense of motion captured by Boccioni in Forme uniche della continuità nello spazio, and reflecting Balla’s advice on adopting Futurist fashion. Inevitably, in the cyclical flow of historical references, the image of Wanda wearing a striking dress with refined geometric patterns—created by fashion designer Anita Pittoni, with whom she shared a long-standing artistic partnership—stands out to the viewer as a clear tribute to Futurist graphic design.
Wanda Wulz, “Io + gatto”, Trieste, 1982, Firenze, courtesy Archivi Alinari-collezione Zannier
In the performance where Wanda embodies the figure of Salomè, draped in a precious gown inspired by Egyptian style, the visual echo of Gustav Klimt’s work emerges powerfully. This reference—already hinted at at the beginning of this article through mention of Austrian cultural influences, difficult to document but clearly present in artistic expression—manifests itself with striking intensity. The allusions to Klimt’s golden portraits, his geometric patterns, and the overt sensuality of his female figures find in Wanda Wulz a more understated yet equally impactful interpretation, especially when considering the historical and cultural context in which her art took shape. Even in this final phase of its activity, the Wulz studio—thanks to the work of two women—expresses the full power of performative art. Through symbolism rich with meaning, the two photographers reveal a fully matured expressive voice. Their strong artistic background proves essential in the development of a personal style and in the creative freedom that animates their refined technical execution.
Info:
Fotografia Wulz. Trieste, la famiglia, l’atelier
curated by Antonio Giusa and Federica Muzzarelli
Magazzino delle Idee, corso Cavour, 2, Trieste
14/12/2024 – 27/4/2025
From Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM.
Globetrotter, passionate about literature, lover of art and photography. I never leave for a trip without taking with me a book by an author of the place where I will go. I have dreamed of moving to Paris for years and sooner or later I will!
NO COMMENT