Women’s creativity at the International exhibition of modern decorative art (Turin 1902).

The essay provides an overview of the female participation in the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative Art held in Turin in 1902. It was possible to identify the names of the participants, some of their works displayed and the judgment of the jury by searching in specialised magazines and catalogues of the exhibition. The biographies of individual designers and artists made possible to investigate their backgrounds as well as their contribution to Art Nouveau in the interior design field. The paper highlights the conditions favouring women’s admission to the Turin international exhibition, and the artistic and professional success that those women were able to obtain as a result of the first international exhibition devoted exclusively to decorative arts. Furthermore, from this preliminary investigation a series of critical questions arise, opening the way to new and more specific studies.