RITRATTI ARBITRARI | I EDIZ. 1990 | TULLIO PERICOLI

Ritratti arbitrari is an illustrated collection by Italian artist Tullio Pericoli, published in 1990 with a preface by Umberto Eco. The book gathers 96 portrait drawings, each accompanied by a short quotation, creating a dialogue between image and text. Pericoli’s art combines caricature, portraiture, and symbolic association: figures are depicted with objects, landscapes, or abstract elements that suggest their intellectual and emotional world. The “arbitrariness” lies in the free, imaginative choice of links between the subject and its visual context. Rather than satirical distortion, Pericoli offers an ironic yet benevolent gaze, capturing character through line, space, and metaphor. The book situates itself at the crossroads of literature, art, and cultural criticism, reflecting how drawing can interpret and expand upon identity.