Marino Marini

Sale: Phillips, de Pury & Luxembourg, New York, May 16, 2003, lot 171
Acquired at the above sale by the present owner

Work is in good condition. There is minor, stable cracking in upper register visible under raking light. Layer of varnish on the surface. There is a 1.5 inch repaired tear above center of bottom edge. Under UV light: a few minor spots of inpainting to address the above mentioned repaired tear. Some original pigments fluoresce, otherwise fine.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The figure of the horse is here captured in a series of quick brushstrokes and sharp angles that emphasizes the mixture of playfulness and pathos that Marini displayed in his painting. The variety of color and texture of the surface, further enhanced by the pen strokes and scratches delineating the horse, are similar to those found on the surface of Marini's sculpture of this period. Fascinated by the richness of painting and the freedom it gave him, the artist himself commented "Painting is a vision of colour. Painting means entertaining the poetry of fact; and in the process of its making, the fact becomes true. In colour, I looked for the beginning of each new idea. Whether one should call it painting or drawing, I don't know" (quoted in Sam Hunter, Marino Marini, The Sculpture, New York, 1993, p. 37).

In discussing the artist's work, Lorenzo Pappi notes: "Marino's painting, too, like his sculpture, also possesses an even mysterious arcane, primordial source – the archetypes of the Horses, the Horsemen... vibrate joyfully in the nuances of different solarities, light as joy, colour as emotion... In his painting, Marino is also Hellenic in a modern key. The dark outlines of his Horses and Riders stand starkly forth like those of the heroes on Greek vases seen against the blinding light of the sea" (Lorenzo Pappi, Marino Marini Paintings, Turin, 1987 p. LVIII).