The Wulz sisters: photography as defiance in fascist Italy

A Guardian feature has brought renewed international attention to the Wulz sisters, Wanda and Marion, whose photography studio in Trieste became an unlikely site of resistance during the fascist era. The article, published this week, describes how the sisters defied the 'unbridled patriarchy' of Mussolini's Italy by photographing dancers, fencers and other famous women of the period.

According to the Guardian's profile, the sisters' work, including portraits of their cat Mucincina, represented a subtle but significant challenge to the regime's vision of women as 'mothers and homemakers'. Federica Muzzarelli, an academic quoted in the piece, notes that 'in those fascist times, women were not free', making the sisters' artistic choices all the more remarkable.

The Wulz sisters operated their studio in Trieste, a city that was itself a contested borderland during the period. Their decision to focus on athletic, artistic and independent women stood in contrast to the regime's propaganda, which emphasised traditional feminine roles.