BRUNO CASSINARI ARTWORKS

Bruno Cassinari, born in Piacenza on 29 October 1912, is a leading figure in the artistic panorama of the 20th century. In 1929, he moved to Milan to continue his artistic training, attending the Umanitaria and the Brera Academy, where he graduated in 1938 under the guidance of Aldo Carpi. His artistic path began to take shape during his years of study. In Milan, he joined the anti-fascist group Corrente, made up of artists such as Treccani, Morlotti, Birolli and Guttuso. With these, Cassinari shares an artistic vision in controversy with metaphysical painting and the Novecento group.
His first solo exhibition was held at the Bottega degli artists of Ernesto Treccani, introduced by Elio Vittorini, an event that marked the beginning of his exhibition career. During the Second World War, Cassinari divided his time between Milan and Venice, refining a more rigorous pictorial language. In 1945, he published the magazine "Il '45" with Guttuso, Vittorini and Morlotti, focused on the relationship between politics and art. The following year, he joined the Nuova Secessione, a group that evolved into the Front Nuovo delle Arti, an artistic association with strong ideological aims.
In 1947, Cassinari moved to Paris with his friend Birolli and met Picasso, an encounter that profoundly influenced his style, bringing him closer to Cubism. He decides to settle in Antibes, where he remains until 1952, and during this period he comes into contact with artists such as Chagall, Braque, Paul Eluard and Jean Cocteau. This Mediterranean sojourn infuses his painting with the breath and color of the sea, giving rise to a phase of special creative energy.
In the 1950s, his international career took off. He participates in numerous editions of the Venice Biennale and is often invited to the Documenta in Kassel. He also exhibits in the United States, Australia and Latin America. In 1952, he received an important recognition at the Venice Biennale and in the same year he exhibited in New York.
His painting, initially influenced by Fauvism and Expressionism, evolves by combining with a substantial Cubism. The color, both bright and luminous, and when it sinks into dark depths, takes on a strong lyrical and evocative allusiveness. Cassinari refuses to consider his artwork abstract, preferring to define it as " abstract-concrete ". His art expresses a very concrete subjective sensation, an approach that gives his painting a persistent intellectual charm. Among his most famous portraits are those of Gina Lollobrigida (1955) and Carla Fracci (1958). He also dedicates himself to sacred painting, creating the stained glass windows for the Basilica of San Domenico in Siena in 1982.
In 1962, he returned to Gropparello after the death of his mother, an event that marked a profound personal and artistic crisis. Here, he rediscovers his roots and the native countryside becomes a recurring subject in his paintings, characterized by warm chromatic mixtures that evoke memories and visions. This return to his roots rekindles his creativity, leading him to explore new artistic directions. In the 1960s and 1970s, Cassinari continued to gain international recognition and created significant works such as the decoration of the Shell building in London (1962) and an altarpiece for the church of Metanopoli in Milan(1963). He also dedicated himself to graphics, illustrating literary works such as the Aminta del Tasso and the poems of Catullus. In the late Seventies, he created stained glass windows for some churches, continuing to explore the sacred dimension of his art. Cassinari remained active until the end of his life, working with almost devotional fervor. He died in Milan in 1992, leaving a rich and varied artistic legacy. His studio, full of canvases to be completed, antiques, sketches and color sediments on the walls, testifies to his artistic temperament and his dedication to art. Bruno Cassinari is remembered as one of the most influential Italian artists of the post-war period, whose work left a lasting imprint on the history of contemporary art.