SASSU Aligi

Aligi Sassu (Milan, 1912 – Pollença, Majorca, 2000) was a painter and printmaker who moved through some of the major artistic and political currents of the twentieth century without relinquishing an intensely personal imaginary. His horses, battles, mythological figures, religious cycles, and scenes of contemporary life reveal a constant faith in the expressive power of the figure and color. Red, often dominant, is not merely a color choice: it becomes a force of energy, passion, and narrative tension.

Futurism, commitment, and figurative renewal

Having become involved with Futurism at a very young age, Sassu took part in the search for an art capable of representing modernity and movement. Soon, however, he developed a different style, more attentive to the human body and the emotional power of painting. The Red Men series, begun in the late 1920s, depicts figures immersed in an unreal light, where formal simplification and chromatic intensity transcend naturalistic description.

In the 1930s, the artist also became strongly committed to anti-fascism. Arrested in 1937, he experienced prison, which profoundly marked his personal life. He later became associated with the Corrente movement, which opposed the regime's cultural rigidity and championed a kind of painting that could engage with people and history. Livic commitment and a passion for the European figurative tradition thus intertwined in a pursuit in which beauty does not exclude drama.

Horses, myths, and stories of the world

The horse is one of the most recognizable motifs in his work. At times it appears as a free and powerful animal; at others, it accompanies horsemen, battles, or mythological scenes. Sassu interprets its form through dynamic lines and color contrasts, transforming it into a symbol of vitality and movement. The same energy runs through the female figures, religious compositions, and images devoted to the Mediterranean world.

His painting remains connected to the great masters of the past, but does not seek to reproduce their style. Forms may be simplified or distorted, colors intensified until the scene becomes almost visionary. In his mature years, the artist expanded his subjects and materials, moving from painting to ceramics, from mosaics to large-scale decorations. This variety reveals a desire to take the image beyond the private dimension of the painting, toward shared spaces and collective narratives.

Etching, Lithography, and Illustration

Sassu devoted considerable attention to printmaking, creating printed artworks and illustrated series also connected to literature. His relationship with the book allowed him to develop narrative sequences, while lithography and engraving offered different ways of interpreting drawing and color. The illustrations for the Divine Comedy attest to his interest in the visual translation of great literary works.

For collectors, it is important to distinguish between an original lithograph, an etching, a screenprint, and a reproduction, always verifying the details of each individual edition. Edition, signature, support, and publication references are essential elements for an accurate description. L's legacy lies in having kept an intense and modern figurative style alive, in which myth, history, and emotion coexist without losing the immediate power of color.