Bidspirit auction | Marino Marini Watercolor & Gouache

Marino Marini Watercolor & Gouache Painting 1959 - Marino Marini (Italian, 1901-1980). Watercolor, gouache, and graphite painting on paper depicting an isolated, blue horse with an elongated neck looking upwards, 1959. Featuring a layered, abstract background composed of heavy patches of deep blue, green, ochre, and red. Signed and dated along the lower left. Lot Essay: One of Italy's most significant sculptors of the 20th century, Marino Marini was celebrated for his expressive depictions of the human figure and equestrian themes. Born in Pistoia, Tuscany, on February 21, 1901, Marini initially trained as a painter at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Florence before shifting his focus to sculpture, where he found his true calling. In 1929 he became a professor at the Scuola d'Arte di Villa Reale in Monza, near Milan, a position he held until 1940. His growing reputation was affirmed by the Prize of the Quadriennale of Rome in 1936. In 1940 he accepted a professorship in sculpture at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera in Milan. Marini settled permanently in Milan in 1946 and soon began building an international presence. His work was included in ”Twentieth-Century Italian Art” exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 1949, following an earlier MoMA exhibition in 1944, and in 1950 dealer Curt Valentin began showing his sculpture at the Buchholz Gallery in New York. Marini traveled to the city for the occasion and met fellow artists Jean Arp, Max Beckmann, Alexander Calder, Lyonel Feininger, and Jacques Lipchitz. Recognition continued to mount over the following decade: he received the Grand Prize for Sculpture at the 1952 Venice Biennale and the Feltrinelli Prize at the Accademia dei Lincei in Rome in 1954, followed by major retrospectives at the Kunsthaus Zurich in 1962 and the Palazzo Venezia in Rome in 1966. His paintings were exhibited for the first time in 1963-64 at Toninelli Arte Moderna in Milan, a permanent installation of his work opened at the Galleria d'Arte Moderna in Milan in 1973, and in 1978 his work was presented at the National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo. Marini died on August 6, 1980, in Viareggio, Italy. Today the artist's legacy is preserved at the Marino Marini Museum in Florence, housed in the former church of San Pancrazio. The museum holds a comprehensive collection of his sculptures, paintings, and drawings, offering visitors deep insight into his artistic journey and evolution. Height: 17 in x width: 21 3/4 in. Condition: The colors are bold and bright. There is a large repaired horizontal tear along the upper third of the work that extends inward approximately 12 inches; there is a piece of tape affixed along the verso backing the tear. There is a partial loss to the sheet along the lower right corner. Along the lower left corner, there are two small losses along the extreme edges of the sheet. The work has possibly been trimmed, particularly along the upper and right edges. There are a few additional minute tears and frits along the extreme edges. The work is unevenly toned, particularly along the right side. Scattered areas of light soiling and foxing. Small areas of skimming along the verso of the upper edge. Along the lower edge, there are accretions and areas of uneven toning likely from past framing elements. Soiling and foxing along the verso. There are residual framing elements affixed along the verso; not visible from the recto. The work is not matted or framed.