Beschreibung:

SANDRO CHIA (B. 1946)Untitled
circa 1990
signed on the lower right; signed on the reverse
gouache, watercolour and pencil on paper laid on canvas
164.5 by 110 cm.
64 3/4 by 43 5/16 in.
This work was executed circa 1990.
FootnotesProvenance
Studio d'Arte Raffaelli, Trento
Acquired from the above by the previous owner in 1992
Gift from the above to the present owner
Transavanguardia heralds as one of the most influential movements of post-war Italian art. Coined by the critic Achille Bonito Oliva, the movement demonstrated an international revival of expressionist painting in the late 1970s and 1980s. Presented here are three works by prominent Transavanguardia artists, Nicola De Maria and Sandro Chia who sought to create a strongly expressive language which oozed in vibrant colour, the depth of space, the passage of time and the freedom of technique.
Directly translated as 'beyond the avant-garde', the movement reacted against the original avant-garde with an aim to return to the traditional act of painting, one that elicited emotion, especially joy, and provided meaning. The movement was marked by five prominent artists, whose artworks drew attention at the 1980 Venice Biennale for their diverse styles and common vision. The exhibition gave these individuals an opportunity to compete for a place on the international art market, dominated by significant figures and tendencies from the United States. They created paintings, drawings and sculptures that belonged to figurative art and employed classical mythology, popular culture, and national symbolistic tradition. These artworks revealed the excitement behind every brushstroke, every line and hue of colour and even every texture of the canvas. According to Oliva, Transavanguardia relied heavily on the materialism of techniques and new materials, rejecting conceptual ideas and recuperating the intensity of painting, the image and the narrative.
Out of all the Transavanguardia artists, Nicola De Maria's body of work is largely non-figurative, instead his canvases are playful abstractions painted in bright vivid colours that celebrate the triumph of art through the lyricism of paint. The titles of his works were often poetic alluding to the allegorical world. Flowers were a recurring element in his iconography, which he believed to be 'universal creatures', and indeed many of the titles of his canvases reference the Kingdom of Flowers. As seen in both the present two works, Immagine soave nel regno dei Fiori and Angeli e sentimenti invernali dipinti, the main protagonist of his painting is colour; Nicola De Maria gives birth to a colourful and metaphorical world. He employs a fantastical composition, using symbols and cypher-like signs which he continues onto the reverse of the canvases, covering their entirety, as seen in both these works.
Sandro Chia's body of work is largely more figurative and demonstrates influences of Futurism and even Mannerism. He looked to the Roman School, which was a reference point for the whole Transavantgarde group, yet as seen in this present work, he depicts his sitter using a palette of vivid colour and painterly, expressive brushwork that energises the entire surface. Throughout his body of work, Chia seeks to celebrate man's sensuality, vitality and relationship with nature. Assimilating culture and imagery from the troves of art history, he depicts narratives of eroticism, melancholy and death, often abound with historical cameos and references. Chia's main protagonists are larger-than-life, heroic male figures imbued with an enigmatic sense of mission, perhaps thought to be manifestations of his own identity.
Whilst the main driving force behind Transavanguardia was the constant referral to art history, the movement's legacy remains acclaimed as extremely progressive, and the group are today highly acclaimed for their contributions to Italian painting. The movement sits in the canon of art history and helped pave the way for the development of Neo Expressionism, which further influenced the practice of artists such as Julian Schnabel Jean-Michel-Basquiat and David Salle It is true to say that Transavanguardia became an internationally recognised phenomenon, identifying as one of the most important post-war art movements since Arte Povera.Read MoreAdditional informationAuction informationBuyers' ObligationsALL BIDDERS MUST AGREE THAT THEY HAVE READ AND UNDERSTOOD BONHAMS' CONDITIONS OF SALE AND AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THEM, AND AGREE TO PAY THE BUYER'S PREMIUM AND ANY OTHER CHARGES MENTIONED IN THE NOTICE TO BIDDERS. THIS AFFECTS THE BIDDERS LEGAL RIGHTS.If you have any complaints or questions about the Conditions of Sale, please contact your nearest customer services team.Buyers' Premium and ChargesFor all Sales categories, buyer's premium excluding Cars, Motorbikes, Wine, Whisky and Coin & Medal sales, will be as follows: Buyer's Premium Rates
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