MARINO MARINI (1901-1980)
$55,000
Provenance
Fondazione Marino Marini, PistoiaPrivate Collection, acquired from the above, 2006
Sotheby's, New York, November 14, 2023, lot 117
Private Collection, acquired from the above
Literature
Pierre Casè, ed., Marino Marini, Milan, 1999, p. 94, illustratedThe chromatic structure is bold and instinctive. Fields of violet, coral, and blue form a textured ground, against which the stark white of the horse and the warm reds and oranges of the rider assert themselves with dramatic clarity. Marini’s use of tempera over aquatint allows him to combine tonal depth with painterly immediacy: granular passages of aquatint dissolve into expressive sweeps of color, while linear accents stabilize the composition just enough to prevent it from tipping into chaos.
As in many of his most significant works, the equestrian motif functions symbolically rather than narratively. Though inspired in spirit by Shakespeare, the image does not illustrate a specific text, instead channeling the emotional intensity and existential unease associated with tragic drama. Marini famously described his horse-and-rider figures as expressions of modern anxiety, stating, “My equestrian figures are symbols of the anguish that I feel when I survey contemporary events.” Here, that anguish is palpable in the strained geometry, unstable balance, and urgent movement of the forms. The print stands as a compelling demonstration of Marini’s ability to translate his sculptural language into graphic form, using color and gesture to confront the fragility of human authority and control.

