Romano Mussolini - Clown

The clown was an extremely popular subject among genre painters in the 1970s and 1980s. Many artists dedicated much of their careers to depicting this theme, Romano Mussolini being a prime example. Generally, artists who tackled this subject followed a similar approach: the clown appears in makeup designed to evoke laughter and amusement, yet wears a melancholy expression. This contrast is intended to create an empathetic dialogue with the viewer. The clown was also favored by many painters for another reason of a formal nature. Indeed, his striking makeup and multicolored clothing provided painters with an opportunity to create original color harmonies.

The clown was one of Romano Mussolini's favorite subjects, always rendered using his figurative technique and its expressionistic tendencies. In this case, we see a much more concise interpretation than in most of the Romagnolo artist's works dedicated to the circus character. The artist uses a bold black line, emphasizing the contours with a few essential strokes. As in all his other works on the same theme, the large, luminous eyes and the bright red of the nose and mouth are highlighted. In the details of the hair, Romano Mussolini returns to a faster, more painterly style, creating a light, airy mass moved by the wind. The color palette in this work is so limited that the painted surface appears almost monochromatic.

Romano Mussolini was born in Forlì in 1927 and died in Rome in 2006. An essentially figurative painter, he focused primarily on genre subjects such as clowns, horses, and landscapes. His compositions are characterized by simplicity of line and color. His passion for painting began in Naples in 1945, where, under the guidance of painters Corrura and Terraccini, he achieved good results almost immediately. In addition to his body of paintings, Romano Mussolini was also famous as a jazz musician and composer.

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