Marino Marini

Doubtlessly, Marino Marini belongs to the most important 20th century sculptors with an oeuvre which is classical and at the same time reflecting the history of the century. Horses and riders are the most important themes in his work throughout his whole life. He uses this motif as a prototype to test the validity of a figurative art in sculpture. To this end, the Italian artist reinterpreted ancient Roman and Etruscan equestrian monuments. He experimented with forms and materials, such as bronze and plaster, and varied the surface by painting or scratching it. While static forms predominate in his early works, they were replaced by more moving and dramatic poses from 1945 onwards. In his female nudes entitled “Pomona”, Marini overdraws his bodies to the point of caricature. In his paintings and graphic cycles, too, horses and riders are omnipresent.