Antonio Possenti - In Giverny

The self-portrait is a genre that has been widespread throughout the history of art up to the present day. The first examples date back to the Middle Ages, but not as an independent genre, but rather contextualized within a work. As the artist's self-awareness and his or her role developed, self-portraits, especially those set within other works, began to gain popularity as early as the Renaissance. The first examples of independent self-portraits, however, date back to the 16th century. Often, the artist's self-portrait serves as a sort of stylistic manifesto for the painter who conceived it.

In this scene, which depicts Antonio Possenti at work, he displays his highly recognizable Surrealism. The language he uses has strong connections to the German New Objectivity artistic movement. We often find the same cynical nature of painters like George Grosz or Otto Dix, lashing out at their own society with lucid irony. However, unlike the Germans and the historical Surrealists, his painting does not rely on a deliberately illusory hyperrealism, but rather on a caricatured definition, more akin to social satire. This satire, however, is expressed in a highly original manner, transposed into a world of eccentric pictorial quotations. Indeed, Antonio Possenti, thanks also to his work as an illustrator and cartoonist, prefers to treat his imaginative world with a graphic style and a colorful palette.

Antonio Possenti was an artist born and raised in Lucca (1933-2016). He was a painter, teacher, and illustrator. His artistic career began while teaching law in schools in the province of Lucca, while simultaneously working as a satirical illustrator for the weekly magazine "Il Mondo." In 1957, he met Marc Chagall. His work, both as a painter and illustrator, received numerous awards, with exhibitions both in Italy and abroad.

The transaction takes place with maximum security for both the seller and the buyer. We take care of the conformity (provenance, authenticity, state of conservation) of the work and handle the shipping.
Returns are possible no later than 14 days after receiving the order.