Fondazione Prada is presenting "William N. Copley," a retrospective tracing the life of nationally acclaimed American artist William N. Copley, at the Podium at Fondazione Prada in Milan until January 8, 2017.

Copley's work ranges from female nudes to images of Mexican folklore, from Parisian nighttime scenes to mythological scenes featuring fauns, satyrs, and nymphs. This "William N. Copley" retrospective, the largest of its kind to date, features more than 150 works by Copley spanning the period from 1948 to 1995, collected from international museums and collections around the world.

The exhibition is spread across the first and second floors of the Podium, with the second floor showcasing Copley's most important works. Through Copley's collection of publications, photographs, catalogs, and archival materials provided by the William N. Copley Estate in New York, the exhibition offers a biographical and intellectual look at Copley's long and complex journey alongside Marcel Duchamp, Ernst, Magritte, and Man Ray, in dialogue with his privately held Surrealist works.
The first floor, meanwhile, is divided into eight distinct spaces dedicated to specific themes or aspects of Copley's work. One room houses Copley's textile and flag paintings, made between 1961 and 1975, exploring themes of geographical and cultural belonging, while another focuses on "unknown whores" (a satire on military memorials known as "unknown soldiers").