3459 - MARINI, MARINO (Pistoia 1901 – 1980 Viareggio): "Horses and Riders"

MARINI, MARINO (Pistoia 1901 – 1980 Viareggio): "Horses and Riders" Pencil, ink, and tempera on paper Signed and dated 1947 lower left and signed lower right 49x31.5 cm (sheet size), framed Provenance: Private collection, Switzerland. Expert opinion: Fondazione Marino Marini, Prof. Dr. Flavio Fergonzi/Luciano Pensabene Buemi/Mattia Patti, Pistoia, September 21, 2022. The work offered here is registered in the archives of the Fondazione Marino Marini under No. 908 in the “Disegni e tempere” section. Marino Marini studied at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Florence beginning in 1917. Initially working as a painter, he increasingly turned to sculpture. During his stays in Paris, he met prominent artists such as Giorgio de Chirico, Pablo Picasso, and Henri Laurens. From 1929 to 1940, he taught at the Villa Reale art school in Monza. It was already during this period that he developed his interactive motif of horse and rider, which would become his artistic trademark. In 1940, Marini moved to the Accademia di Brera in Milan. After his studio was destroyed during World War II, he fled to Switzerland, where he lived in Tenero near Locarno until 1946. There he met Alberto Giacometti and Fritz Wotruba, among others. Back in Milan, he continued his teaching career and his international exhibition activities. The horseman figure had been a recurring theme in the artist’s work since the 1930s. He was inspired by a riding school near his studio, where he could observe horses. Over time, the forms became increasingly simplified and abstract. Under the influence of World War II, the motif grew more expressive and evolved from a symbol of joy into an expression of tragedy, despair, and destruction. Auction date and time: November 6, 2026, 2:30 p.m.