CONTEMPORARY ART

The Last Supper 1962

Oil on canvas. Signed and dated lower left. On the back there is a handwritten and signed prayer to Jesus in Portuguese by the artist. Malangatana was a Mozambican artist (poet, painter, musician), as well as a political activist for his country. The work belongs to Malangatana's first artistic period, whose political commitment was not yet evident, and takes up the subject of the Last Supper, which he had already tackled on other occasions in the same years. In this religious subject, Malangatana clearly reveals his closeness to the ritual and tribal culture of his country, but also his knowledge of religion as well as that of Western art, both in the composition of the figures that look at similar Western subjects, and in the compositions of the objects, in particular the numerous and varied elements that fill the table, with a basket of fruit in the center, which recall our Still Lifes. His figures are presented as overlapping and intertwined bodies, and dominated by faces, in which long eyes stand out, with penetrating expressions, which will then become tormented and suffering looks, a symbol of the suffering of an oppressed people.

Doves 1976

Pencils on paper. Signed and dated lower left. Floriano Bodini, a well-known sculptor, engraver and medallist, considered one of the souls of Existential Realism, has also devoted himself to graphics throughout his career. His production features recurring subjects - Bishops, Cardinals, Requiems, Popes, Doves, Ambos - that express thought, trepidation, sometimes anxiety, but also trust, confidence and faith. The dove in particular has represented for Bodini a constant iconographic element in his artistic research, a theme that has been assiduously present in all his production, not only graphic, since the end of the Sixties, up to the last example dated 2004, emblematically considered his last engraved work. The interest in this image is confirmed among other things by his collection of objects that portray doves or whose shape they recall. The result of a research rich in stimuli from different sources, both cultured and popular, the choice of this image has never been trivialized, but has always maintained its high symbolic and formal dignity. The work proposed here is presented in a frame.

Mother with Child

Oil on canvas. Signed lower right. On the back there is a cartouche of authentication from "Meeting Art Roma"; with the data of the work, and stamp of provenance from the "Centro Artistico Mercurio, Milan". Giuseppe Migneco, originally from Messina but who moved to Milan when he was young, was one of the major representatives, together with Aligi Sassu, Renato Birolli, Bruno Cassinari, Renato Guttuso, of the Corrente group open to the European artistic avant-gardes. In favor of a painting of social commitment, he investigates reality with a critical, objective, historical eye. His characters with hard, square faces, marked by hard work and rendered with bright and strong tones, recall his Sicily with violent and clear features, but also the social realism of the Mexican muralists. In this work appear his characteristic figures (which could belong to both Sicily and Mexico!) engaged in a very prosaic and realistic activity of popular daily life, that is, a mother who combs and cleans her son's head, probably infested with parasites. The work is presented in a frame.

Relief Painting '58-'68

Mixed media on canvas, with material applications. From 1958 to 1968 ORAZI, who had already moved from the figurative to the abstract phase, devoted himself to creating compositions in relief: he collected and used materials and fibres of different types, especially natural materials and fibres such as tiny grains of sand, seeds, plant filaments and fragments of bark, with which he created relief shapes that emerged from the surface of the canvas. The basis of this artistic experience, called Peinture en Relief, was the exploration of nature, its components and its phenomena (flowers, plants, sands, rocks, volcanic lava, coasts and seabeds, eruptions, storms, petrified meteorites). The works of this period were initially characterised by a still rather low relief; but subsequently the relief became more and more pronounced, often coming out of the perimeter of the support, to the point of appearing more like statues than paintings. The work is presented in a frame. From a collection of the artist's family.

Relief Painting, 1958-1968

Mixed technique on canvas, with material and plate applications. On the back there is a label from a Parisian art transport service, with the artist's name: ORAZI's works participated in numerous exhibitions in the French capital, both personal and collective. From 1958 to 1968 ORAZI, who had already moved from the figurative to the abstract phase, dedicated himself to creating compositions in relief: he collected and used materials and fibres of different types, especially natural materials and fibres such as tiny grains of sand, seeds, plant filaments and fragments of bark, with which he created relief shapes that emerge from the surface of the canvas. The basis of this artistic experience, called Peinture en Relief, is the exploration of nature, its components and phenomena (flowers, plants, sand, rocks, volcanic lava, coasts and seabeds, eruptions, storms, petrified meteorites). The works of this period were initially characterised by a still rather low relief; but subsequently the relief became more and more pronounced, often coming out of the perimeter of the support, to the point of appearing more like statues than paintings. Often in these works there is a reference to volcanic activity and the material it produces, sometimes expressed in titles such as "Lava Flow", "Volcanic Sands", Volcanic Beaches". The work is presented in a frame. Coming from the artist's family collection.

Relief Painting '58-'68

Mixed media on canvas, with material applications. Signed lower right. From 1958 to 1968 ORAZI, who had already moved from the figurative to the abstract phase, devoted himself to creating compositions in relief: he collected and used materials and fibres of different types, especially natural materials and fibres such as tiny grains of sand, seeds, plant filaments and fragments of bark, with which he created relief shapes that emerged from the surface of the canvas. The basis of this artistic experience, called Peinture en Relief, was the exploration of nature, its components and its phenomena (flowers, plants, sands, rocks, volcanic lava, coasts and seabeds, eruptions, storms, petrified meteorites). The works of this period were initially characterised by a still rather low relief; but subsequently the relief became more and more pronounced, often coming out of the perimeter of the support, to the point of appearing more like statues than paintings. The work is presented in a frame. From a collection of the artist's family.

Lovers, 1975 ca.

Oil on canvas. Signed lower left. The painting belongs to ORAZI's production from the 1970s. In this phase the artist abandoned completely abstract and relief painting and returned to figurative painting, rendered however with simplified and distorted lines. In particular, he created the series called Lignes Circulaires and the one, to which this work belongs, of paintings called Têtes-Paysage, in which he created compositions that depict mysterious human heads or heads of fauns and mythological figures (sometimes accompanied by their insect companions), often couples of lovers kissing: the lines, in these paintings, intertwine to simultaneously form compositions, intertwining bodies, often in an erotic attitude. The work comes from the artist's family's private collection.

Jehovah Ordonnant de sa Main Puissante une Famille Cosmique, 1970

Oil on canvas. Signed and dated lower right. In ORAZI's abstract pictorial phase, his strong inclination to create circular shapes, often knotted or concentric, is often expressed. This tendency becomes central in the pictorial phase of the years 1970-1977, called Ligne Circulaire, in which he abandons creations in relief and the reference to the shapes and impressive events of nature, to instead depict the harmonious dimension of the universe, the birth and movement of the planets, the vastness of the firmament. The colors soften, are rich and at the same time tender. In some paintings ORAZI also depicts fascinating representations of Mother Earth embracing her creatures (insects, birds, flowers) or of the Moon. Or as in this work, he expresses a direct reference in the title to divine creation, depicting "God who orders the cosmic family with his powerful hand". The work comes from the artist's family collection. It is presented in a frame.

Tête-Paysage 1970 ca.

Oil on canvas. Signed lower left. The painting belongs to ORAZI's production from 1970 to 1977. In this phase the artist abandoned completely abstract and relief painting and returned to figurative painting, rendered however with simplified and distorted lines. In particular, he created the series called Lignes Circulaires and the one, to which this work belongs, of paintings called Têtes-Paysage, in which he created compositions that depict mysterious human heads or heads of fauns and mythological figures (sometimes accompanied by their insect companions): the lines, in these paintings, intertwine to simultaneously form compositions, intertwining bodies, or as in this work, hide a head or a face, often "faunesco". The work comes from the artist's family's private collection.

Figures of Lovers 1975

Oil on canvas. Signed and dated lower right. The painting belongs to ORAZI's production from the 1970s. In this phase the artist abandoned completely abstract and relief painting and returned to figurative painting, rendered however with simplified and distorted lines. In particular, he created the series called Lignes Circulaires and the one, to which this work belongs, of paintings called Têtes-Paysage, in which he created compositions that depict mysterious human heads or heads of fauns and mythological figures (sometimes accompanied by their insect companions), often couples of lovers kissing: the lines, in these paintings, intertwine to simultaneously form compositions, intertwining bodies, often in an erotic attitude. The work comes from the artist's family's private collection.

Figures, 1975 ca.

Oil on canvas. The painting belongs to ORAZI's production from the 1970s. In this phase the artist abandoned completely abstract and relief painting and returned to figurative painting, rendered however with simplified and distorted lines. In particular, he created the series called Lignes Circulaires and the one, to which this work belongs, of paintings called Têtes-Paysage, in which he created compositions that depict mysterious human heads or those of fauns and mythological figures (sometimes accompanied by their insect companions), often couples of lovers kissing: the lines, in these paintings, intertwine to simultaneously form compositions, intertwining bodies. Here we can perceive some figures, human and animal, probably mythological, engaged in an erotic plot. The work comes from the artist's family's private collection.

Composition, 1933

Oil on canvas. Signed and dated lower right. Partial label of the Galleria Pesaro in Milan on the back. The work belongs to the first period of the French artist ORAZI (a name he wanted written in capital letters), a period still linked to figurative painting, influenced by the historical avant-gardes, in particular by post-impressionism; already in this first phase, research on color has a dominant place in the representation of characters and objects. In this composition, the red and blue colors of the books, the bottle label, the feather, stand out against the soft and homogeneous colors of the other objects, among which the stone mask dominates the left hemifield. The work comes from the artist's family of origin. It is presented in a period frame.

Peinture en Relief, 1960s

Mixed technique on hardboard, with applications of materials in relief. From 1958 to 1968 ORAZI, who had already moved from the figurative to the abstract phase, devoted himself to creating compositions in relief: he collected and used materials and fibres of different types, especially natural materials and fibres such as tiny grains of sand, seeds, plant filaments and fragments of bark, with which he created relief shapes that emerged from the surface of the canvas. The basis of this artistic experience, called Peinture en Relief, was the exploration of nature, its components and its phenomena (flowers, plants, sands, rocks, volcanic lava, coasts and seabeds, eruptions, storms, petrified meteorites). The works of this period were initially characterised by a still rather low relief; but subsequently the relief became more and more pronounced, often coming out of the perimeter of the support, to the point of appearing more like statues than paintings. The work presented here probably belongs to the first experimental phase, with a still not very pronounced relief. The work is mounted on a support panel. It comes from the artist's family collection.

Scene with Figures, 1950 ca.

Oil on canvas. It belongs to a group of works called Jeux de Symboles, created from 1945 to 1950 approximately, in which ORAZI's painting moves towards the production of the so-called Peinture du Mouvement, characterized by the work on the dynamic effects of the human body (and animals) in motion, emphasized by the strength of color. Color dominates this scene, strong, acid, bright color, which outlines almost geometric human and animal figures, with marked and clear contours, in which two different ethnic groups seem to be recognized in comparison. The canvas has small losses of color. It comes from the artist's family collection.

The Shawl Portrait of a Mexican Woman ca. 1950

Oil on canvas. Signed lower right. The French painter ORAZI stayed in Mexico in 1955 and then in 1956-57, which was an exceptionally attractive world for intellectuals and artists of the time. The natural scenery, the customs and traditions of the local population were the themes that converged in the series of paintings called Peintures sur le Mexique, landscapes, compositions and portraits without giving in to the taste for the exotic, with an extremely careful work on the color to represent, without descriptivism, the elements of nature and the figures of men and women, already projected towards abstraction. This pictorial series, composed of 35 pieces, was then exhibited in 1957, upon his return to France, at the Vendôme Gallery in Paris. The painting comes from the private collection of the artist's family.

Portrait of a Woman 1951

Oil on canvas. Signed and dated lower left. The date of the work places this work in the period in which ORAZI was already projecting himself towards a less realistic painting, creating a portrait characterized by very marked physiognomic features, almost geometric, and a color scheme that plays on the variation of a single color range. The figure portrayed is that of an elderly woman, belonging to the peasant world.

Informal Composition 60s

Mixed tecnique on cardboard. From the second half of the 1950s ORAZI moved from figurative to abstract painting, with a progressive evolution that started from flat compositions (like the one presented) to works in relief, which culminated in the series called Peinture en Relief (Painting in Relief). The work comes from the artist's family collection.

Mexican Peasant Figure 1956

Oil on canvas. Signed and dated 1956 lower left. The French painter ORAZI stayed in Mexico in 1955 and then in 1956-57, which was an exceptionally attractive world for intellectuals and artists of the time. The natural scenery, the customs and traditions of the local population were the themes that converged in the series of paintings called Peintures sur le Mexique, landscapes, compositions and portraits without giving in to the taste for the exotic, with an extremely careful work on the color to represent, without descriptivism, the elements of nature and the figures of men and women, already projected towards abstraction. This pictorial series, composed of 35 pieces, was then exhibited in 1957, upon his return to France, at the Vendôme Gallery in Paris. The painting comes from the private collection of the artist's family.

Trame di Vita 2011

Acrylic on wood and collage of various materials. On the back, under the protective cardboard, there is an artist's label with the signature and the title of the work. Clara Bartolini, a multifaceted artist (she has tried her hand at painting, photography, collage, sculpture, assembly, always looking for new materials and new creative paths, but also with poetry, scenography, she is a stylist) said of this series of her works called Trame: "I have always worked with thread, a very representative symbolic element, it assures me of the return, it shows me the paths already taken, it keeps alive the thought on what is important in my life. Ariadne's thread, the fil rouge, the thread of the speech and, why not, mending the tear, putting a patch on it and much more. Thread (I have also been a stylist) has always had a great importance in my life. It often appears in my works, in cotton, copper, brass, iron, nylon. In order not to lose the thread...". The work is presented in a frame.

Trame di Vita 2011

Acrylic on wood and collage of various materials. On the back, the artist's label with the signature and the title of the work. Clara Bartolini, a multifaceted artist (she has tried her hand at painting, photography, collage, sculpture, assembly, always looking for new materials and new creative paths, but also with poetry, scenography, she is a stylist) said of this series of her works called Trame: "I have always worked with thread, a very representative symbolic element, it assures me of the return, it shows me the paths already taken, it keeps alive the thought on what is important in my life. Ariadne's thread, the fil rouge, the thread of the speech and, why not, mending the tear, putting a patch on it and much more. Thread (I have also been a stylist) has always had a great importance in my life. It often appears in my works, in cotton, copper, brass, iron, nylon. In order not to lose the thread...". The work is presented in a frame.

The Ancient Triskelion 1997

Mixed media on board. Signed and dated lower right. On the back, further signature, date and title. Driven by an intense intellectual curiosity that has characterized every moment of his experience, not only creative, but also human and professional, the Ancona artist Giorgio Villa has developed his own principles of thought and action, on rigorous bases of a scientific-mathematical approach, nourished by a profound poetic inspiration and a deep-rooted sense of beauty. The search for a path to follow, free from patterns or cultural ties characterizes his art; Villa moves in the sphere of imagination, feelings and the poetry of images. Each work is the fruit of a meditated inspiration, moment by moment, allowing space for reflection, for the considered gesture, analyzing the relationships between space and matter, between colors and shape, to identify the perfect synthesis, which makes a work of art unique and unrepeatable. In this work Villa depicts the Triskelion, or the ancient symbol formed by three spirals joined at a central point, more generally three intertwined spirals, or, by extension, any other symbol with three protuberances and a triple rotational symmetry.

Untitled 1958

Oil on canvas. Signed and dated lower right. The work of strong emotional impact proposes an almost monochromatic purple background, in which a few black and white strokes are inserted to define a silhouette curled up on the left, perhaps a human form, collected and closed in on itself. Born in 1934 in Viareggio, where he still lives, the painter and sculptor Mario Francesconi is considered one of the few survivors of Dadaism, which since the end of the 1950s has gone through the seasons of Italian and European art in a distinctly personal search for forms and techniques. Starting from his first solo show in 1959 he develops an artistic path that goes through different phases, often attributable to a passion for poor and recycled materials. His artistic activity moves between the areas of painting, sculpture, collage and installation and borders on the adjacent areas of poetry and literature, also thanks to friendships and professional relationships with some of the most significant figures of the intellectual world. Italian of the second half of the last century, from Emilio Villa to Cesare Garboli, from Leonardo Sciascia to Mario Luzi, from Cesare Zavattini to Pier Paolo Pasolini, from Alfonso Gatto to Sandro Penna to Venturino Venturi. The work is presented in a frame.