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Lot Essay
Marini explored and refined the equestrian theme throughout his artistic career. While his earlier depictions exuded a sense of stability and harmony, with the rider steady on the horse’s back, from 1951 onwards, Marini’s work was dominated by a sense of climax and crisis, where the rider was often in the process of being unseated by his steed. This shift in Marini’s rendering of the subject is often associated with a change in his world views, which became increasingly cynical after World War II.Cavaliere is an expressive and dynamic example of Marini's treatment of the theme, in which the rider no longer has control over his horse. The horse is energetically planted on the ground, with its back curved in tension and its neck and head outstretched in front of him. Meanwhile, the rider is dynamically ejected backwards with outstretched arms. The vigorous opposition between the forward movement of the horse and the backward movement of the rider creates a stabilizing symmetry and a contradictory sense of harmony between the two subjects. Still, the rider has completely lost control of the animal; this reversal of the power between the two creatures reflects Marini's new understanding of man’s vulnerability, as well as the uncertainty of the times, which had a profound effect on the artist.
Marini's stylized treatment of the subject reflects his modernist concerns and techniques. His equestrian bronze is conceived of voluminous geometrical shapes, arched, stretched and rebound together into one object. Indeed, the animal’s front legs and the rider’s are indiscernible, sowing the horse and cavaliere together into one creature. Moreover, the sculpture’s surface varies from smooth to coarse, creating a textured landscape where light and shadow interplay, adding to the overall sense of movement and dynamism embodied in the sculpture.
Illustrating the artist’s early success in America, this bronze was first purchased at Curt Valentin’s 1953 Marini exhibition in New York by the actress Imogene Coca of 1950s variety show fame. Cavaliere later entered the collection of her co-star Isaac "Sid" Caesar, from whom the current owner acquired it.
Marini's stylized treatment of the subject reflects his modernist concerns and techniques. His equestrian bronze is conceived of voluminous geometrical shapes, arched, stretched and rebound together into one object. Indeed, the animal’s front legs and the rider’s are indiscernible, sowing the horse and cavaliere together into one creature. Moreover, the sculpture’s surface varies from smooth to coarse, creating a textured landscape where light and shadow interplay, adding to the overall sense of movement and dynamism embodied in the sculpture.
Illustrating the artist’s early success in America, this bronze was first purchased at Curt Valentin’s 1953 Marini exhibition in New York by the actress Imogene Coca of 1950s variety show fame. Cavaliere later entered the collection of her co-star Isaac "Sid" Caesar, from whom the current owner acquired it.