Verso la Luce is an Italian phrase that means “Towards the light.” It is a phrase that has been used in many different contexts, including religion, philosophy, and art.
Artistically, Verso la Luce refers to a work of art that’s intended to inspire hope or optimism, often used to refer to the afterlife. Mannucci’s Verso la Luce may have been inspired by poetry from the short story titled ‘Shadow’, written by Antun Gustav Matos (1873-1914).
‘I love the mournful shadow, the dozing light: light which dreams of the night. I love the shadow, twin sister of the warm sun and of the cold moon. I love the shadow, my eternal adopted sister and companion which slumbers beside me, walks near me, my dark picture and my caricature. Yes, I love the shadow, yellow, grey, black; the shadow, sad and silent as death.”
Matos was himself a central figure in Croatian modernism, and many of his short stories and poetic literature (including Shadow) reflect the style of Symbolism, as does Mannucci’s.
Read more about Verso la Luce here.
Read more about Cipriano Mannucci here.
