Writing as a symbol of status
In the academic tradition of portraiture, the presence of books or writing implements in paintings contributed to the depiction of the subject as an educated person, if not a scholar.
Discorso numero 4 (1974) by Vincenzo AgnettiLa Galleria Nazionale
In contemporary times, writing and allusions to alphabetic signs and symbols, even those
with obscure and mysterious origins, have characterized experimental art, with its predilection for semiotics.
Composizione (1950 - 1950) by Carla AccardiLa Galleria Nazionale
Louis Philippe To Miocene (1967) by Gianfranco BaruchelloLa Galleria Nazionale
Per un uomo alienato (1968) by Alighiero BoettiLa Galleria Nazionale
From the Surrealists' automatic writing (André Breton)...
Superficie 76 bis (1954 - 1958) by Giuseppe CapogrossiLa Galleria Nazionale
...to casual signs inspired by Japanese calligraphy (Giuseppe Capogrossi, Jean Fautrier);
Senza titolo (1960) by Jean FautrierLa Galleria Nazionale
Une tentative (Hebdomadaire n.16) (1967) by Jirì KolarLa Galleria Nazionale
Z-44 (1960) by Jannis KounellisLa Galleria Nazionale
from Jannis Kounellis's references to signage...
The gift (1990) by Joseph KosuthLa Galleria Nazionale
De iis quae ad speculum et in speculo (cortile Kosuth) (2005) by Joseph KosuthLa Galleria Nazionale
... to Joseph Kosuth's conceptual art...
This is a cod (1975) by Ugo NespoloLa Galleria Nazionale
Il grande linguaggio (1963) by Gastone NovelliLa Galleria Nazionale
Cicrus Transfigured (1957) by Mark TobeyLa Galleria Nazionale